As of July 7, eight new astronauts are ready to help advance scientific research aboard the International Space Station and pave the way for America’s new space launch capabilities and journey to Mars. The four women and four men moving from candidates to the corps were part of the 2013 astronaut class, chosen from 6,300 applications - the second largest number of applications NASA ever has received. “These individuals have worked incredibly hard to attain this milestone,” said Chris Cassidy, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “For many, it is the culmination of a lifetime of dedication and perseverance to reach this goal. We are proud to have them join the NASA astronaut corps.”
The group reported to Johnson in August 2013 to begin technical space system training, robotics instruction and specialized hardware and science instruction. They have successfully completed two years of intensive training and now will support mission operations and technical duties while awaiting spaceflight assignments. “It is an honor to have these talented and skilled individuals as part of the operations organization,” said Brian Kelly, director of Flight Operations at Johnson. “We look forward to their future contributions as we enter this new era of human space exploration.” Read More