NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class completed a series of training exercises this summer, preparing them for future missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. The ten candidates are approximately halfway through their nearly two-year program, which began on Sept. 22, 2025, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The training included geology studies, with candidates completing classroom work at Johnson and field training at the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico and Iceland. In July, several candidates joined NASA astronauts and Artemis mission support teams in Iceland to practice geologic observations, sampling, navigation, and teamwork – skills directly applicable to future Artemis lunar missions.
Flight training was also a key component, with candidates flying NASA’s WB-57s and T-38 supersonic jets. They also participated in altitude chamber runs at Johnson Space Center, simulating the physical pressures of high-altitude flights and space, and practiced safety protocols. Survival training continued in Johnson’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, simulating emergency landings and building teamwork.
Beyond physical training, the candidates are completing intensive Russian language classes and cross-cultural training to prepare for international missions. They are also learning to operate spacecraft systems, conducting spacewalk training, and practicing emergency procedures, maintenance, and repair. The class is on track to graduate in 2027 and join NASA’s active astronaut corps.
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