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.
Selected from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants, the new class represents a range of backgrounds - military test pilots, engineers, a physician, and a scientist - but all were inspired by moments in their lives that set them on a path 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 carry human exploration farther than ever before.
During the class announcement at Johnson on Sept. 22, 2025, Center Director Vanessa Wyche celebrated the moment as a milestone for exploration.
"Today is an exciting day for our nation and for all of humanity as we introduce NASA's 2025 astronaut candidates - the next generation who will help us explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond," Wyche said. "Each one of these candidates 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 stories as multifaceted as the missions they will one day support.
Different Roads 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 U.S. Navy pilot and test pilot Rebecca Lawler says that is exactly what drew her to NASA.
"All of these people are coming from different disciplines and levels of expertise, and you're all working together to get science to fly," she said. "That's what excites me most - bringing those experiences together as a team."
Imelda Muller, an anesthesiologist and former U.S. Navy undersea medical officer, said her experience supporting experimental diving teams taught her how people from different backgrounds can come together under one mission, something she sees echoed at NASA.
Muller remembers looking up at the night sky as a kid, able to see almost every star on a clear night. Her grandfather worked on the Apollo program and used to share stories with her, and she says the mix 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 astronaut health aboard the space station from the Mission Control Center in Houston and served as a mission specialist and medical officer aboard SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission.
