Astronaut Candidates Get to Work at Johnson Space Center
NASA announced its newest class of astronaut candidates on Sept. 22, 2025, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. After the welcome ceremony, the 10 highly qualified individuals rolled up their sleeves and prepared for the next step in their journey to the stars: nearly two years of training to become flight-eligible for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and ultimately, Mars.
The training astronaut candidates complete is comprehensive and rigorous. They learn about NASA’s history and vision, and how astronauts advance the agency’s mission. They take classes on space health – gaining an understanding of radiation exposure, microgravity’s effects on the human body, space food and nutrition, and how to use the exercise equipment aboard the International Space Station. They also study first aid and practice providing medical care for crewmates. Each candidate will receive flight training, learning to pilot or improving their current piloting skills through the T-38 supersonic jet and other aviation platforms.
With NASA’s plans for the future of exploration, this class of astronauts may have opportunities to fly to low Earth orbit, or even beyond. Some may contribute to research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station – which is about to celebrate 25 years of continuous human presence in space. Others may venture to the Moon to prepare for future Mars missions.
To be ready for any destination, this class will complete both space station training and advanced preparation for deep space. These exercises allow astronaut candidates to work through problems and build relationships with their classmates while preparing them for space flights.
“Training was such an intense period that we got to know each other really well,” said NASA astronaut Anil Menon, who joined the agency as part of the 2021 class – astronaut group 23. “Now when we come together, there are these moments – like we might be handing off a capcom shift, or we might be flying a jet together – and in those moments, I feel like I know them so well that we know how to navigate all sorts of challenges together and just be our best selves as a team.”
Astronaut candidate training also teaches foundational skills that can be applied to any destination in space. The group will complete several dives in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, simulating spacewalks in different environments and learning how to do maintenance tasks in microgravity with a full-scale underwater mockup of the International Space Station as their worksite. They will also train inside other mockups of space vehicles, learning emergency procedures, maintenance, and repair of spacecraft, along with how to contribute to future developmental programs.
Robotics training will prepare them to use the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm. They will trek through the wilderness as part of their land and water survival training, and they will study geology in the classroom and in the field. The group will practice tasks in a variety of simulations, leveraging Johnson’s world-class facilities, virtual reality, and immersive technologies. Additionally, the class will work shifts in the Mission Control Center in Houston to experience a day in the life of the people who keep watch over the astronauts and vehicles.
Astronaut candidates who successfully complete the training program celebrate their achievement in a graduation ceremony, after which they are officially flight-eligible members of NASA’s astronaut corps. They will also receive office and ground support roles at Johnson while they await future flight assignments.
“I’ve been exposed to a lot of different parts of what we do at Johnson Space Center, working both with the current increment of supporting operations aboard the International Space Station, as well as supporting some development of the Orion spacecraft and Artemis II preparations,” said NASA astronaut Chris Birch, another member of astronaut group 23.
Many members of NASA’s active astronaut corps emphasize that the learning does not stop when astronaut candidate training ends. “You have the foundational training and you continue to build off of that,” said Deniz Burnham, adding that the hardest days can be the most educational. “You get to learn, you get to improve, and then you’re still getting the opportunity. It’s such a positively unique experience and environment, and you can’t help but be grateful.”
As NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, class mentor, told the group, “You’ll become part of a legacy of those who trained before you, continuing the adventure they started, and looking ahead to future human exploration.”
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Linda E. Grimm
