NASA's newest astronaut class breaks gender records for deep space

Space · Published 13 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Selecting the next generation of explorers is a grueling process. After a year-and-a-half search through thousands of applications, NASA recently unveiled a class of eight trainees. This group marks a historic shift in the agency's demographic makeup as they prepare for missions to asteroids and Mars.

The 2013 astronaut candidate class was selected from a massive pool of more than 6,000 applications, making it the second-largest number of entries NASA has ever received. This high volume of interest underscores the growing public fascination with deep-space exploration, particularly as the agency looks toward destinations like Mars and asteroids. A significant milestone in the agency's diversity goals was reached with this specific cohort: half of the selectees are women. NASA's records show that this cohort contains the greatest proportion of women ever chosen for one recruitment cycle. The selection process concluded after an extensive eighteen-month search. This specific recruitment cycle occurred in June 2013.

The group includes diverse professionals, ranging from naval aviators and test pilots to physicists and station chiefs. These trainees are not just preparing for routine orbits. They are being trained at space centers and remote locations globally to handle the complexities of low-Earth orbit and beyond. Their roles will be pivotal in leading the first human missions to asteroids and eventually Mars, as well as supporting the transition to commercial American spacecraft for launches from U.S. soil. The candidates include individuals like Josh A. Cassada, a physicist and former naval aviator. Another trainee, Victor J. Within the U.S. Congress, Glover works as a Navy Legislative Fellow. Congress.

The selection process is overseen by veterans of the Astronaut Corps, including figures like Ellen Ochoa and Janet Kavandi. The rigorous training ensures that these new explorers can handle the technical demands of modern spaceflight, which now involves complex maneuvers like the 'Touch-and-Go' (TAG) sampling techniques used by missions like OSIRIS-REx. The training prepares them for missions to the International Space Station. They will also help manage the transition to using spacecraft built by American companies.

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