NASA unveils 10 new astronauts for missions to the moon

HOUSTON — NASA has introduced its new class of astronaut candidates, some of whom may be among the first people to set foot on Mars.

The cadre — the 24th astronaut class in NASA's history, and the first new one since 2021 — was announced today (Sept. 22) during a ceremony here at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

The newly unveiled astronaut candidates — five men and five women — were selected from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants. NASA's call for applications opened for about a month last year, just as the previous class graduated.

"This selection was challenging, competitive and very difficult, but what we have for you here today is a group of individuals who are not only exceptional but who will be inspirational for the United States of America, and for our planet," Norm Knight, NASA