NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidates: Shaping the Artemis Exploration

When NASA’s 2025 astronaut candidates arrived at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston this fall, they stepped into history, sharing a common mission to master the skills and teamwork that define NASA’s next era of exploration.

Chosen from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants, the new class represents a range of backgrounds – military test pilots, engineers, doctors and scientists – but all were inspired by moments in their lives that set them on their way to space.

They will spend nearly two years in training before becoming eligible for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon and eventually Mars. When they graduate, they will join NASA’s active astronaut corps, advancing science aboard the International Space Station and supporting Artemis missions that will take human exploration further than ever before.

During the announcement of the lecture at Johnson on September 22, 2025, Center Director Vanessa Wyche celebrated the moment as a turning point for the research.

“Today is an exciting day for our nation and for all of humanity as we introduce NASA’s 2025 astronaut candidates — the next generation to help us explore the Moon, Mars and beyond,” Wyche said. “Each of these nominees brings unique experiences and perspectives that reflect the diversity of America and the spirit of exploration that defines NASA.”

Behind their new blue flight suits are years of preparation and multiple stories like the missions they will one day support.

Different paths to the same horizon

Some of the candidates built their careers in the air, where precision, communication and teamwork were part of every mission. Former US Navy pilot and test pilot Rebecca Lawler says that’s what attracted her to NASA.

“All these people come from different disciplines and different levels of expertise, and you’re all working together to make science fly,” she said. “That’s what I’m most excited about — bringing those experiences together as a team.”

Imelda Muller, an anesthesiologist and former U.S. Navy underwater medical officer, said her experience supporting experimental diving teams taught her how people from different backgrounds can come together for a mission, something she sees echoing at NASA.

Muller remembers looking up at the night sky as a child, he could see almost every star on a clear night. Her grandfather worked on the Apollo program and shared stories with her, and she says the combination of stargazing and imagining those missions inspired her dream of becoming an astronaut.

Anna Menon, a biomedical engineer and former flight controller, has seen the human side of spaceflight from the ground and from space. She supported the health of astronauts on the space station from Mission Control Center in Houston and served as a mission specialist and medical officer on SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission.

A native of Houston, she discovered her passion for research in the fourth grade during a field trip at Johnson. “That experience ignited in me the desire to be part of the space industry,” she said.

The language of human spaceflight

For test pilots — including Adam Fuhrmann, Cameron Jones, Ben Bailey and Erin Overcash — flight testing has taught them the flexibility, composure and discipline to make quick decisions when it matters most. As Fuhrmann said, it’s about knowing when to lead and when to listen.

Each astronaut candidate will spend nearly two years learning spacecraft systems, practicing spacewalks at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, flying T-38 jets and studying geology, robotics and survival training.

As U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer and helicopter test pilot Ben Bailey said, it’s not one skill that matters—it’s the combination.

“Each is exciting on its own — the flying, the language training, the spacewalks — but doing them all together, as a crew, that’s the best part,” Bailey said.

During the event, current astronauts greeted the new class and shared advice drawn from their own journeys in human spaceflight. “Fortunately, you’ll have some of the most talented, passionate instructors and an incredibly dedicated team here at NASA,” said NASA astronaut Chris Williams. “Some of the most special moments will come when you realize how much you can learn from each other.”

From the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman encouraged the candidates to “learn everything they can, get to know each other and enjoy the ride.”

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim followed the reminder that every explorer carries forward: “The people sitting next to you now will become friends for life.”

Explorers of the Golden Age

From geologist Lauren Edgar, who worked on the Curiosity Mars Rover and the Artemis III science team, to engineers like Yuri Kubo, who completed seven NASA internships, and Katherine Spies, who designed and tested flight systems that enable exploration, each brings a layer of expertise to the agency’s future on the Moon and beyond.

A new era begins

At the announcement ceremony, NASA Director of Flight Operations Norm Knight said, “Every lesson learned on the station has paved the way for where we’re going next—to the Moon, this time to stay, and on to Mars. We have a group of individuals who are not only exceptional, but will be inspirational to the United States and to our planet.”

Together, astronaut candidates reflect the spirit of Artemis — curiosity, courage and constant learning as humanity prepares for its next great leap.