... NASA announced it was again accepting applications for its next group of candidates for flights to the International Space Station, the moon and, eventually, missions to Mars.
"We believe that everyone has a special talent that they can bring to our astronaut corps. And that is why we are so excited to announce that we are taking applications again," said Shannon Walker, deputy chief of NASA's Astronaut Office.
NASA is now through April 2 recruiting for its 24th class of astronauts.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 55289 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-27-2024 12:30 PM
NASA is extending the deadline for astronaut applications to Tuesday, April 16, "as we continue to receive steady interest in the opportunity."
Our intent is to ensure the broadest possible reach, so that qualified potential candidates from all walks of life have sufficient time to submit their applications.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 55289 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-20-2025 02:25 PM
After evaluating more than 8,000 applications, NASA will debut its 2025 class of astronaut candidates during a ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 22.
The astronaut selection event will stream live on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, NASA's YouTube channel and the agency's X account.
astro-nut Member
Posts: 1080 From: Washington, IL Registered: Jan 2006
posted 08-31-2025 01:54 PM
I was told that there will be 10 new astronauts selected for Group-24/Class 2025.
Mike Isbell Member
Posts: 616 From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Registered: Aug 2003
posted 09-17-2025 06:15 PM
Does anyone know how may currently active astronauts there are?
Delta7 Member
Posts: 1787 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
posted 09-18-2025 08:25 AM
There are currently 41 active NASA astronauts.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 55289 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
NASA has named its new group of astronaut candidates.
The space agency on Monday (Sept. 22) introduced the four men and six women who comprise its 2025 trainee class during a ceremony held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Following two years of basic training, the new candidates will be eligible for mission assignments in low Earth orbit and on the moon, as NASA's Artemis program works toward sending the first humans to Mars.
DeepSea Member
Posts: 74 From: Registered: Jun 2014
posted 09-22-2025 11:56 AM
Interesting group. I wish them the best.
brianjbradley Member
Posts: 189 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Dec 2010
posted 09-22-2025 12:03 PM
I note there are more women than men. Very cool!
issman1 Member
Posts: 1197 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 09-22-2025 12:10 PM
No excuses not to fly an all-female orbital crew, sooner rather than later.
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1542 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 09-22-2025 12:34 PM
I don't think there's any reason why NASA *should* fly an all-female crew, no more than an all-male or mixed gender crew. Keep in mind; for any missions to ISS, or even Artemis to the moon, there will be international (CSA, like Col. Jeremy Hansen; ESA; JAXA) astronauts of both sexes, over which NASA has no control regarding flight assignments.
Interesting composition of astronauts this time, with diverse backgrounds. Anna Menon will be the second NASA astronaut selected who already has flown in space, albeit on a rocket and into orbit (the late Maj Gen Joe Engle flew above 50 miles but below the Karman Line in the X-15, qualifying for USAF astronaut wings per criteria at the time).
Also; Ben Bailey will be only the second Army Warrant Officer to fly in space, after CWO 4 Thomas Hennen, a Payload Specialist who flew on STS-44/Atlantis in 1991. And Lauren Edgar will be the second geologist in the current astronaut corps, joining Jessica Watkins, providing experience and knowledge as Artemis III and future missions are being planned.
issman1 Member
Posts: 1197 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 09-22-2025 01:40 PM
There was an all-female shuttle crew rumoured for STS-93 while Soyuz T-15 was considered with three female cosmonauts in 1985.
I personally feel it should happen, certainly before ISS ends, and the fact that NASA just selected more women than men makes it feasible.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 55289 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-22-2025 02:04 PM
These astronaut candidates will not graduate until 2027, by which point the crew assignments for the remaining ISS expeditions should all be made (especially if the crew size is reduced, as currently planned). Things can always change, but this class may not see the ISS.
issman1 Member
Posts: 1197 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 09-22-2025 02:25 PM
I also think it's right that SpaceX employees are being selected as government astronauts. I'm only surprised that there were not even more considering Dragon and Starship are key to NASA's current plans.
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1542 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 09-22-2025 02:33 PM
Dr Robb Kulin, class of 2017, was the first SpaceX employee selected as a NASA ascan, but he resigned in 2018 before completing astronaut training. Dr Anil Menon, class of 2021, an ex-USAF flight surgeon and former medical director at SpaceX, was the second, and has flown an ISS long-duration mission.
issman1 Member
Posts: 1197 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 09-22-2025 03:35 PM
I meant that over 50 percent of these new astronaut candidates should have been SpaceX employees.
Perhaps Musk will purchase an Axiom Space mission to ISS with an all-female SpaceX visiting crew.
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1542 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 09-23-2025 08:37 AM
Not to belabor the point; but why *should* half of the class of 2025 have been from SpaceX? I don't see Blue Origin, Boeing etc. employees in the mix (maybe they have applied).
NASA has always hired a wide variety of people with different skills: science; medicine; engineering; academia; military; corporate. They want overachievers who have mastered not just their own fields but can adapt to new situations, concepts and training.
Look at LtCdr Lawler, the first NOAA Officer Corps member to be chosen; she has extensive flight and test experience, even being a 'Hurricane Hunter.' You can't tell me SpaceX specializes in that.
issman1 Member
Posts: 1197 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 09-23-2025 12:45 PM
As the world's most consequential and reliable spaceflight company it should be treated accordingly.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 55289 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-23-2025 01:13 PM
By poaching its workforce? How long is SpaceX going to be able to function when its best and brightest go to work elsewhere?
Mostly kidding, but where someone works is less important to how they performed while working there. If NASA needs something done from SpaceX, it will contract SpaceX to do it.
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 1422 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 09-23-2025 04:25 PM
I wish all the new class members success, and a long and happy life.
I don't care where they came from, as long as they are competent.
For what its worth, I think Boeing and Blue Origin astronauts would be just dandy for long duration missions...
dcfowler1 Member
Posts: 166 From: Eugene, OR Registered: May 2006
posted 09-23-2025 11:15 PM
quote:Originally posted by onesmallstep: Look at LtCdr Lawler, the first NOAA Officer Corps member to be chosen...
True, but she retired from the NOAA Corps in 2022.
OV-105 Member
Posts: 934 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000
posted 09-27-2025 10:30 PM
quote:Originally posted by issman1: I meant that over 50 percent of these new astronaut candidates should have been SpaceX employees.
Why? You never saw McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell, or Boeing in the astronaut groups when they were making vehicles. It is an individual’s choice to apply to become an NASA Astronaut.
If SpaceX wants their own astronauts there is nothing stopping them from doing it like Boeing did for Starliner.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 55289 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-30-2025 01:36 PM
A couple of notes about two the 2025 ascans:
Yuri Kubo is the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's second scholar to become an astronaut after Christina Koch. Kubo received the scholarship for two years, 2009 and 2010, while at Purdue University.
Kubo and Adam Fuhrmann are the 29th and 30th members of Purdue's "Cradle of Astronauts." Upon graduating basic training, they will be the 25th and 26th NASA astronauts to be alums of the Indiana school.
posted 03-05-2024 02:23 PM
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