HOUSTON– NASA revealed the members of its brand-new astronaut candidate class who might one day help establish a sustainable presence on the moon.The 4 women and 6 males named on Monday (Dec. 6) consist of the U.S. space companys 23rd group of astronaut candidates because the initial Mercury 7 were picked in 1959 and the first to be recruited given that the start of NASAs Artemis moon program. The brand-new class of 10 was narrowed from a pool of more than 12,000 candidates after an extended recruitment procedure that started in March 2020 and was delayed due to the continuous COVID-19 pandemic.The astronaut candidates, or “ascans” for short, were revealed at a ceremony held at Ellington Field, NASAs base for flight operations, located near Johnson Space Center in Houston. Company leaders, including Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, administered over the event, which had as its backdrop some of the exact same T-38 supersonic jets that the ascans will use to train.Related: How To Become An AstronautNASAs 23rd class of astronaut prospects pose with NASA leaders and congressional officials at Ellington Field, near Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas, at the conclusion of their statement event on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (Image credit: collectSPACE.com)”Today we invite 10 brand-new explorers, 10 members of the Artemis generation, NASAs 2021 astronaut prospect class,” stated Nelson. After finishing from two years of standard guideline, the Group 23 members will become eligible for a range of assignments, consisting of carrying out research study on the International Space Station, launching on commercial spacecraft to industrial outposts in low Earth orbit and embarking on missions into deep area aboard NASAs Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.Some of the candidates may become members of NASAs Artemis team, a subset of the companys astronaut workplace, designated to preparing for humans to return to the moon and ultimately launch to Mars.Related: What Its Like to Become a NASA Astronaut: 10 FactsNASAs 2021 astronaut candidate class: Nichole Ayers, Marcos Berríos, Christina Birch, Deniz Burnham, Luke Delaney, Andre Douglas, Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon, Christopher Williams and Jessica Wittner.
HOUSTON– NASA exposed the members of its brand-new astronaut prospect class who may one day help develop a sustainable presence on the moon.The 4 females and six males named on Monday (Dec. 6) make up the U.S. area agencys 23rd group of astronaut prospects because the original Mercury 7 were chosen in 1959 and the first to be recruited considering that the start of NASAs Artemis moon program. The brand-new class of 10 was narrowed from a swimming pool of more than 12,000 applicants after an extended recruitment procedure that began in March 2020 and was delayed due to the continuous COVID-19 pandemic.The astronaut candidates, or “ascans” for brief, were announced at a ceremony held at Ellington Field, NASAs base for flight operations, situated near Johnson Space Center in Houston. Company leaders, consisting of Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, presided over the event, which had as its backdrop some of the exact same T-38 supersonic jets that the ascans will use to train.Related: How To Become An AstronautNASAs 23rd class of astronaut prospects position with NASA leaders and congressional officials at Ellington Field, near Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas, at the conclusion of their statement ceremony on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (Image credit: collectSPACE.com)”Today we welcome 10 brand-new explorers, 10 members of the Artemis generation, NASAs 2021 astronaut prospect class,” stated Nelson. “Alone, each candidate has the best things, but together they represent the creed of our nation: E pluribus unum– out of numerous, one.”The candidates are scheduled to report to Johnson in January to begin their training in spacecraft systems, spacewalking abilities and other needed disciplines for spaceflight. After finishing from 2 years of basic instruction, the Group 23 members will become eligible for a variety of tasks, including carrying out research study on the International Space Station, introducing on industrial spacecraft to industrial stations in low Earth orbit and embarking on objectives into deep space aboard NASAs Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.Some of the prospects might enter of NASAs Artemis group, a subset of the agencys astronaut workplace, designated to preparing for humans to go back to the moon and eventually launch to Mars.Related: What Its Like to Become a NASA Astronaut: 10 FactsNASAs 2021 astronaut candidate class: Nichole Ayers, Marcos Berríos, Christina Birch, Deniz Burnham, Luke Delaney, Andre Douglas, Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon, Christopher Williams and Jessica Wittner. (Image credit: NASA)The candidates consist of seven military officers, two scientists, 2 medical physicians and a research study pilot. They are: Nichole Ayers is a 32-year-old major in the U.S. Air Force. A local of Colorado, she has a masters degree in computational and used mathematics. Among the couple of ladies presently flying the F-22 fighter jet, Ayers led the first ever all-woman formation of the aircraft in combat.Marcos Berríos, 37, is a major in the U.S. Air Force. After growing up in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, he served as a reservist in the Air National Guard. A test pilot who holds a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics, he has logged more than 110 battle missions and 1,300 hours of flight time in more than 21 various aircraft.Christina Birch, 35, grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, and has a doctorate in biological engineering. A university professor who taught scientific writing and communication at the California Institute of Technology, she also ended up being a decorated track cyclist on the U.S. National Team.Deniz Burnham is a 36-year-old lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. She calls Wasilla, Alaska, home. A previous intern at NASAs Ames Research Center in California, Burnham serves in the U.S. Navy Reserves. She made a masters degree in mechanical engineering and handling onsite drilling projects throughout North America, including in Alaska, Canada, and Texas.Luke Delaney, 42, is a retired significant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He matured in Debary, Florida and holds a masters degree in aerospace engineering. A prominent marine aviator and test pilot, Delaney most recently worked as a research pilot at NASAs Langley Research Center in Virginia, where he supported air-borne science missions.Andre Douglas, 35, is a Virginia native who holds a doctorate in systems engineering. Douglas served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a naval designer, salvage engineer, troubleshooting assistant and officer of the deck. He most recently was a senior employee at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, dealing with maritime robotics, planetary defense and space expedition missions for NASA.Jack Hathaway is a 39-year-old commander in the U.S. Navy. A native of Connecticut, he earned bachelors degrees in physics and history at the U.S. Naval War College. A prominent naval pilot, Hathaway most recently was designated as the potential executive officer for Strike Fighter Squadron 81. He has more than 2,500 flight hours in 30 types of airplane, more than 500 provider detained landings and flew 39 fight missions.Anil Menon, is a 45-year-old lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As SpaceXs first flight surgeon, he helping to release the businesss first people to area during NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission and developed a medical company to support the human system during future objectives. Prior to that, he served NASA as the team flight cosmetic surgeon for different expeditions taking astronauts to the International Space Station.Christopher Williams, 38, matured in Potomac, Maryland. He graduated with a doctorate in physics and is a board-certified medical physicist. He most recently worked as a medical physicist in the Radiation Oncology Department at the Brigham and Womens Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Williams research focused on establishing image assistance strategies for cancer treatments.Jessica Wittner, 38, is a lieutenant leader in the U.S. Navy. She hails California with a distinguished career serving on active service as a naval aviator and test pilot. She holds a Master of Science in aerospace engineering and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. She flew F/A -18 fighter jets and worked as a test pilot and job officer with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 in China Lake, California.NASAs 23rd group of astronaut prospects present together with their fellow trainees, Mohammad AlMulla and Nora AlMatrooshi from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). (Image credit: collectSPACE.com)The brand-new astronaut prospects will be signed up with in their training by two United Arab Emirates (UAE) candidates, Nora AlMatrooshi, a 28-year-old mechanical engineer, and Mohammad AlMulla, a 33-year-old pilot for the Dubai Police, who were picked by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in Dubai in April.NASAs astronaut corps presently has 44 active members, led by Chief Astronaut Reid Wiseman. With the addition of the new class, NASA has actually selected 360 females and guys to train as astronauts in its more than 60-year history.”Weve made lots of huge leaps throughout the last 60 years, fulfilling President Kennedys goal of landing a guy on the moon,” said Vanessa Wyche, Johnson Space Center director. “Today we reach even more into the stars as we press forward to the moon when again and on to Mars with NASAs newest astronaut candidate class.”To be qualified, the new ascans needed to be U.S. residents with a master s degree from a recognized institution in a science, technology, mathematics or engineering (STEM) field with a minimum of three years of associated experience, or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. The candidates also needed to pass the NASA physical for long-duration spaceflight.Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2021 collectSPACE.com. All rights scheduled.
