NASA Welcomes 10 New Astronauts for Lunar and Martian Missions

NASA has introduced ten new astronaut candidates as part of its ongoing efforts to explore the Moon and Mars. This announcement was made on Monday, highlighting the agency’s commitment to expanding its astronaut corps for upcoming missions. The new candidates include individuals from diverse backgrounds, with the group featuring six women and four men, marking a significant milestone where women outnumber men for the first time in NASA’s astronaut selection history.

Among the candidates is Anna Menon, 39, from Houston, Texas, who has already made history by flying to low-Earth orbit as part of the private Polaris Dawn mission last year. This mission utilized a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, and alongside her crewmate Sarah Gillis, Menon holds the record for the highest altitude achieved by any female astronaut. Notably, she follows her husband, Anil Menon, who was selected in the previous astronaut class in 2021.

Training for Future Missions

The newly selected astronaut candidates will undergo two years of rigorous training at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Their training will include practicing spacewalks in a 60-foot-deep swimming pool and learning to operate NASA’s T-38 jet planes. Given the collaborative nature of space missions, candidates will also learn Russian, as NASA continues to partner with Russia on the International Space Station (ISS).

Currently, the primary mission for NASA astronauts involves assignments aboard the ISS. However, the agency is looking beyond low-Earth orbit with its ambitious Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon. The Artemis II mission is scheduled for early 2024 and will involve four astronauts orbiting the Moon without landing, marking the first crewed mission beyond low-Earth orbit since the Apollo missions concluded in 1972. Subsequently, Artemis III aims to land two astronauts on the lunar surface by 2027, although delays may push this timeline to 2028 or later.

Mars exploration represents an even more distant goal, with anticipated missions likely commencing in the 2030s. Even after the ISS is expected to retire in 2030, NASA astronauts will continue to engage in space travel, working on upcoming commercial space stations and a planned lunar outpost called Gateway, which will orbit the Moon and serve as a staging point for lunar landings.

Recruitment and Diversity Efforts

NASA typically conducts astronaut selections every few years, and this marks the agency’s 24th class of astronauts since its inception. The first astronaut group, formed in 1959, consisted of seven military pilots for Project Mercury. The latest recruitment cycle began approximately 18 months ago, with around 8,000 applicants vying for a position. During this selection process, the agency aimed to promote diversity, as emphasized by April Jordan, the NASA official overseeing the program at the time, and Victor Glover, an astronaut assigned to Artemis II. Both individuals are Black and have highlighted the importance of a candidate group that reflects the nation.

Jordan stated, “We want the group of astronaut candidates that we select to be reflective of the nation that they’re representing,” emphasizing NASA’s commitment to inclusivity in its astronaut program.

As NASA embarks on these ambitious missions, the selection of new astronaut candidates not only strengthens its workforce but also underscores the agency’s goal of fostering a diverse and capable team prepared to explore the final frontier.