NASA has announced its new astronaut candidate class of 2025, selecting just 10 from a pool of over 8,000 applicants. The candidates, all of whom are from the United States, will now begin two years of training to make them eligible for future missions to the International Space Station, low Earth orbit, the Moon, and possibly even Mars in the years to come.
“I’m honored to welcome the next generation of American explorers to our agency,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “More than 8,000 people applied—scientists, pilots, engineers, dreamers from every corner of this nation. The 10 men and women sitting here today embody the truth that in America, regardless of where you start, there is no limit to what a determined dreamer can achieve – even going to space. Together, we’ll unlock the Golden Age of exploration.”
The complete list of trainees includes Ben Bailey, Lauren Edgar, Adam Fuhrmann, Cameron Jones, Yuri Kobo, Rebecca Lawler, Anna Menon, Imelda Muller, Erin Overcash, and Katherine Spies. The youngest among them is 34, and the oldest is 43. They’ve been drawn from a range of industries and include experience as experimental test pilots, undersea medical officers, flight engineers, and space-bound geologists.
Many are ex-pilots of various degrees and experiences, though across the group, there are also years of experience in various aerospace industries and endeavors, including extensive experience at SpaceX. Some, like Menon, have even visited space already—a first for any NASA candidate group. She also holds the female altitude record, having participated in the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission in 2024.
The new inductees are already training for future missions, having begun their regimen in mid-September. Specific skills training involves: “robotics, land and water survival, geology, foreign language, space medicine and physiology, and more,” according to NASA. They’ll also be run through specific simulations on the ISS, as part of Artemis missions to the moon, spacewalks in LEO, and flying high-performance jets and other experimental aircraft.
This represents NASA’s 24th astronaut class, bringing the total of astronaut candidates NASA has recruited to 370, starting from the original Mercury Seven in 1959.
