Meet NASA’s 10 newly selected all-American 2025 astronaut candidates for Moon and Mars missions

NASA announced its 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class on Sept. 22, 2025. The 10 candidates, pictured here at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston are: U.S. Army CW3 Ben Bailey, U.S. Air Force Maj. Cameron Jones, Katherine Spies, Anna Menon, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Erin Overcash, U.S. Air Force Maj. Adam Fuhrmann, Dr. Lauren Edgar, Yuri Kubo, Rebecca Lawler, and Dr. Imelda Muller. (Image: NASA)

NASA introduced 10 new astronaut candidates Monday after intense selection. Over 8,000 applicants from across the United States competed for slots. The 2025 class will complete almost two years of rigorous training. Successful completion will make them eligible for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.

The 24th astronaut class reported at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Acting Administrator Sean Duffy praised their talent and dedication during a ceremony. “These 10 men and women show that determined dreamers can achieve space,” he said. Training covers robotics, land and water survival, geology, and foreign languages. Candidates also practice space medicine, simulated spacewalks, and high-performance jet flights. They learn complex operations aboard the International Space Station and Artemis lunar missions.

• Ben Bailey, 38, U.S. Army, has over 2,000 flight hours in 30 aircraft.
• Lauren Edgar, 40, an Earth scientist, helped define Artemis III lunar geology goals.
• Adam Fuhrmann, 35, U.S. Air Force, has 2,100 flight hours including combat missions.
• Cameron Jones, 35, an Air Force test pilot, specialises in F-22 Raptor operations.
• Yuri Kubo, 40, a SpaceX engineer, directed Falcon 9 launches and Starshield avionics.
• Rebecca Lawler, 38, a former Navy test pilot, has flown 2,800 hours in 45 aircraft.
• Anna Menon, 39, a biomedical engineer, previously flew aboard SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission.
• Imelda Muller, 34, a Navy medical officer, trained at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.
• Erin Overcash, 34, a Navy pilot, logged 1,300 hours in 20 aircraft and multiple deployments.
• Katherine Spies, 43, a Marine Corps test pilot, holds 2,000 flight hours in over 30 aircraft.

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Following graduation, candidates will join NASA’s active astronaut corps for research and exploration missions. Active astronauts support science aboard the space station and transition to commercial stations. Their expertise advances human presence beyond low Earth orbit, toward the Moon and Mars. Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA Johnson, highlighted their role in a new era. “This class will usher in the Golden Age of innovation and exploration,” she said.

The 2025 candidates will be available for media interviews virtually and in person on October 7. NASA has now selected 370 astronaut candidates since the Mercury Seven in 1959.