Our Nation's Newest Astronauts

Have you ever dreamed of blasting off into space? Last September, a group of people took a big step toward making their space dream come true. NASA, the United States space agency, announced its newest group of astronauts. More than 8,000 people applied, but only 10 were chosen! This new class includes six women and four men. It’s the first time in NASA history that a class has more women than men.

This is a major moment. NASA began in 1958. But women weren’t officially allowed to apply to be astronauts until 1978. Since 1958, NASA has chosen about 60 women and about 230 men to train as astronauts. 

“If we want to actually explore and live in the solar system, we have to bring everybody along with us,” says space expert Wendy Whitman Cobb. 

The new group reported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. That’s where they began what will be about two years of tough training. One day, they might go to the moon—or even Mars! To prepare, they must learn many new skills. 

The group will study how rockets, spacecraft, and space stations work. They’ll learn to do science experiments in space and will practice survival skills. The new astronauts will also spend time in simulators to get used to the feeling of being launched, flying, and landing in a spacecraft.

One of the most important training experiences happens in a giant swimming pool. There, astronauts practice moving underwater. This helps them learn how to walk in the low gravity of space.

Getting used to living in low gravity is one of the biggest challenges astronauts face. In space, anything that isn’t strapped down will float—including people!

But low gravity does more than make astronauts feel weightless. It affects the human body in many ways (see sidebar). Imelda Muller is one of NASA’s 10 new astronauts. She says it’s important to be ready for just about anything.

“As we journey on our exploration missions, we don’t always know what might happen to our bodies,” Muller said during a Reddit interview.

So the 10 new astronauts are training hard. One day, they may get launched into space. Maybe you’ll follow in their footsteps someday.