NASA · Space

NASA Astronaut Candidates Undergo Rigorous Training

NASA's 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class is halfway through its nearly two-year training program, preparing for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.

The candidates are receiving comprehensive training, including geology field exercises in New Mexico and Iceland, where they practiced geological observations, sampling, navigation, and teamwork relevant to lunar missions.

Flight training involves operating NASA's WB-57 and T-38 aircraft to build confidence and adaptability. Candidates also undergo altitude chamber runs to simulate space conditions and practice safety protocols.

Water survival training, conducted in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, prepares candidates for potential emergency landings in remote environments, enhancing teamwork and decision-making.

Additional training includes intensive Russian language classes, cross-cultural preparation, operating spacecraft systems, spacewalk simulations, and learning emergency procedures and spacecraft maintenance.

The class is on track to graduate in 2027 and will then join the active astronaut corps, awaiting flight assignments for missions ranging from the International Space Station to deep space exploration.

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