NASA has announced its latest astronaut candidates, known as ASCANs, selecting 10 individuals from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants. The group—six women and four men—will undergo two years of intensive training before becoming eligible for missions in low Earth orbit, to the Moon, or even Mars.
This 24th astronaut class marks a historic milestone: for the first time in NASA’s history, women outnumber men. These astronauts will form the backbone of future Artemis missions, with the potential to include the first woman to walk on the Moon and the first humans to reach Mars.
“From low Earth orbit to the Moon and eventually Mars, the first step on the Red Planet will belong to an American astronaut—and it could be one of these candidates,” said Senator Ted Cruz at the announcement in 2025.
Training for the ASCANs began in mid-September at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. It covers a wide range of mission-critical skills, including robotics, survival on land and water, geology, space medicine and physiology, foreign languages, and high-performance aircraft piloting. Candidates also engage in spacewalk simulations and Russian language instruction, preparing them for potential missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
Among the new recruits is Anna Menon, who brings prior space experience from SpaceX’s 2024 Polaris Dawn mission—the first private spacewalk and record-setting distance for a woman from Earth. Menon has also served as a senior engineer at SpaceX and NASA’s mission control in Houston, while her husband, Anil Menon, completed the same astronaut training in 2021.
The class includes seven with military backgrounds, three with previous NASA experience, and others with scientific or engineering expertise—including a geologist, crucial for lunar return missions and future Mars exploration.
“It’s an honor to welcome the next generation of American explorers to NASA! More than 8,000 people applied—scientists, pilots, engineers, dreamers from across the country. The 10 men and women here today prove that in America, there’s no limit to what a determined dreamer can achieve—even reaching space,” said NASA Deputy Director Sean Duffy.
He added, “Together, we will unlock the Golden Age of Exploration.”
