NASA Introduces 24th Astronaut Class Amid Ambitious Lunar and Martian Plans

Published: September 23, 2025, 14:00 EDT

NASA has announced its newest group of astronauts, selecting 10 scientists, engineers, and pilots from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants. This elite team, the 24th class since the original Mercury Seven in 1959, represents a historic milestone with more women than men for the first time. These astronauts will support upcoming missions to the Moon under the Artemis program and potentially to Mars in the future.

A Historic Astronaut Selection

The newly chosen class includes six women and four men, reflecting growing gender diversity in the U.S. astronaut corps. Among them are a geologist with experience on NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover and an engineer who previously flew aboard a SpaceX mission, which included the world’s first private spacewalk last year.

NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy highlighted the significance of this selection during a Monday ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. “You are America’s best and brightest, and we’re going to need America’s best and brightest because we have a bold exploration plan for the future,” Duffy said. He emphasized that the United States aims to lead the second lunar race and eventually land astronauts on Mars.

Training and Preparation

The new astronauts will undergo two years of rigorous training before becoming eligible for spaceflight. This preparation includes technical simulations, spacewalk practice, robotics operation, and survival training.

Norm Knight, NASA’s flight operations director, described the competition as “stiff” and praised the class for its outstanding qualifications. “These astronauts are distinguished and exceptional,” Knight said, noting the group’s diverse expertise, which includes military pilots, engineers, and a medical doctor.

Personal Stories of Selection

Several members of the class shared their reactions to the life-changing news. Air Force Maj. Adam Fuhrmann received his acceptance call during rush hour traffic and immediately pulled over to ensure he heard correctly. Another Air Force pilot, Maj. Cameron Jones, learned of his selection just after moving across the country.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Erin Overcash was at home when she received her call. “No way. I mean, I mean, yes, of course. But like no way,” she said. She noted that her experience living on a ship with thousands of crew members will help her adapt to the challenges of spaceflight.

Experienced Astronauts Among the New Class

Anna Menon, who flew with billionaire Jared Isaacman on a SpaceX mission last September, becomes the first NASA astronaut candidate in history to have already reached orbit. Her husband, a former SpaceX flight surgeon, was also selected in NASA’s previous class.

Lauren Edgar, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, contributed to the Curiosity rover mission on Mars and has joined the Artemis program’s lunar science team. “I am so excited to be officially part of the NASA family,” Edgar said, highlighting the team’s enthusiasm for future exploration.

NASA’s Ongoing Mission and Future Goals

NASA has selected only 370 individuals as astronauts over more than six decades, making the corps a highly exclusive group. The new additions will join 41 active U.S. astronauts currently serving.

The class comes at a pivotal moment for the U.S. space program, as NASA prepares for Artemis missions aimed at returning humans to the Moon by 2027 at the earliest. These astronauts will play key roles in testing new technologies, conducting scientific experiments, and preparing for eventual human missions to Mars.

Promoting Diversity and Expertise

The selection of more women than men for the first time underscores NASA’s efforts to foster diversity in its astronaut program. With backgrounds ranging from spaceflight engineering to geoscience and military aviation, the new class embodies a wide array of skills necessary for long-duration missions in deep space.

This historic astronaut class represents both the culmination of years of rigorous selection and the promise of America’s next generation of space explorers.

Source: AP News – NASA introduces its newest astronauts: 10 chosen from more than 8,000 applicants