NASA to Unveil New Astronaut Class on September 22
NASA is set to announce its new class of astronaut candidates on September 22, 2025, during a live-streamed event from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The announcement will take place at 12:30 p.m. EDT (16:30 GMT; 11:30 a.m. local time) and will be accessible through various platforms, including NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, NASA’s YouTube channel, and its X account. Space.com will also provide a simulcast of the event, contingent on NASA’s stream availability.
The astronaut candidates were selected from an impressive pool of over 8,000 applicants. Following the announcement, the new class will undergo approximately two years of intensive training before earning certification as full astronauts, making them eligible for future space missions.
Upcoming Briefings on Artemis 2 Mission
In addition to the astronaut class unveiling, NASA has scheduled a series of media briefings on September 23 and September 24 to discuss the upcoming Artemis 2 mission. This mission aims to send four astronauts on a journey around the moon, set to occur no earlier than April 2026. The briefings will also be streamed live on NASA’s YouTube channel and X account, along with coverage from Space.com.
The crew of Artemis 2 will include notable astronauts: Reid Wiseman as commander, Victor Glover as pilot, and Christina Koch as mission specialist. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will also serve as a mission specialist. This mission is historic, as Glover will become the first Black astronaut to participate in a moon mission, while Koch will be the first woman and Hansen the first non-American to fly on such a mission.
Scheduled briefings for Artemis 2 include:
– **September 23**
– 11 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. local time, 15:00 GMT): Mission overview briefing featuring:
– Lakiesha Hawkins, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
– Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis Launch Director, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
– Judd Frieling, Lead Artemis 2 Ascent Flight Director, NASA Johnson
– Jeff Radigan, Lead Artemis 2 Flight Director, NASA Johnson
– Rick Henfling, Lead Artemis 2 Entry Flight Director, NASA Johnson
– Daniel Florez, Test Director, Exploration Ground Systems, NASA Kennedy
– 1 p.m. EDT (12 p.m. local time, 17:00 GMT): Artemis 2 Science and Technology briefing featuring:
– Matt Ramsey, Artemis 2 Mission Manager, NASA Headquarters
– Debbie Korth, Deputy Orion Program Manager, NASA Johnson
– Jacob Bleacher, Manager, Science, Technology Utilization, and Integration, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
– Mark Clampin, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
– **September 24**
– 10 a.m. EDT (12 p.m. local time, 14:00 GMT): Artemis 2 Crew News Conference featuring:
– Reid Wiseman, Commander
– Victor Glover, Pilot
– Christina Koch, Mission Specialist
– Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist
These events mark significant milestones in NASA’s ongoing efforts to explore deeper into space and return humans to the moon. The agency continues to build momentum with its Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface and eventually prepare for future missions to Mars.
