NASA introduced 12 new astronauts on Wednesday (June 7), who will train for missions into Earth orbit and to deep space.
The seven men and five women comprise the 22nd class of American spaceflight trainees since 1959. The group is the largest NASA has selected in almost two decades.
Mike_The_First Member
Posts: 436 From: USA Registered: Jun 2014
posted 06-07-2017 02:45 PM
How long do the ASCANs being announced this afternoon have before they officially report for training?
My recollection from last time was that they had at least a few weeks after the announcement before they moved down to Houston.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-07-2017 02:55 PM
The 2017 class reports for basic training in August.
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1393 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 06-07-2017 03:24 PM
Interesting the variety of educational, and especially work, experiences for this group. Lt. Barron's selection makes her among only a handful who have served aboard submarines, in her case with the first women commissioned into the undersea service.
Also, only four pilots out of twelve (not counting those that may have private licenses). With the Starliner and Dragon commercial crew spacecraft being fully automated, would this have something to do with fewer pilots being selected, or is it more a matter of NASA already having enough?
eurospace Member
Posts: 2668 From: Berlin, Germany Registered: Dec 2000
posted 06-07-2017 04:18 PM
At what date exactly in August will they report to Houston?
Mike_The_First Member
Posts: 436 From: USA Registered: Jun 2014
posted 06-07-2017 04:37 PM
One would assume that the date is more of deadline than a hard date — that would just make more sense logistically.
Is there any particular reason that their flight suits are outfitted with Flight Operations patches?
OV-105 Member
Posts: 893 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000
posted 06-07-2017 05:29 PM
NASA didn't waste anytime getting the new class photo up.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-07-2017 06:00 PM
quote:Originally posted by Mike_The_First: Is there any particular reason that their flight suits are outfitted with Flight Operations patches?
The Astronaut Office is part of the Flight Operations Directorate at Johnson Space Center. Brian Kelly, director of flight operations, announced them today.
Delta7 Member
Posts: 1718 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
posted 06-07-2017 07:16 PM
Chari and Kulin were finalists in the 2013 selection.
Mike_The_First Member
Posts: 436 From: USA Registered: Jun 2014
posted 06-07-2017 08:24 PM
quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: The Astronaut Office is part of the Flight Operations Directorate...
Makes sense — I'm just more used to seeing that emblem in the context of Mission Control than astronauts.
Posts: 1618 From: Gardner, KS Registered: Feb 2003
posted 06-08-2017 09:17 AM
I actually went to school at Kansas with Loral O'Hara. Very bright, intelligent, extremely nice person. I am very happy to see her being selected.
East-Frisian Member
Posts: 644 From: Germany Registered: Apr 2005
posted 06-08-2017 01:31 PM
A Robb Michael Kulin I found here on the International Ski Federation website, maybe the right one.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
To say NASA's new astronauts are happy to have been selected would be an understatement.
"I do not think I ever smiled that big in my life," said Zena Cardman, one of the 12 new astronaut candidates, or "ascans," announced on Wednesday (June 7).
"I had my hand over my heart, because it was just absolute, utter overwhelming emotion," said Cardman, a geobiologist, describing the phone call she received on May 25 inviting her to come work for NASA. "I have not stopped smiling since."
MCroft04 Member
Posts: 1804 From: Smithfield, Me, USA Registered: Mar 2005
posted 06-08-2017 09:14 PM
I'm impressed with the enthusiasm and optimism expressed by this latest astronaut group. Let's hope that NASA receives the funding to fulfill their dreams.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-09-2017 07:43 AM
From Doug Hurley on Twitter:
Welcome to the family, Jasmin, bringing Marines to 4 in astronaut corps! Glad we could all be together before Randy Bresnik heads to ISS.
Pictured: Bresnik, Nicole Mann, Jasmin Moghbeli and Hurley.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3549 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 06-12-2017 09:17 PM
quote:Originally posted by OV-105: NASA didn't waste anytime getting the new class photo up.
I've just noticed that the T-38 jet which the new astronaut group are posing in front of is the same T-38 that I stood in front of at Patrick Air Force Base in July, 1975 shortly after the ASTP launch. NASA certainly gets a lot of use out of those aircraft!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-21-2017 04:07 PM
quote:Originally posted by eurospace: At what date exactly in August will they report to Houston?
The lucky 12 will start training August 21 for two years, after which they'll be eligible for flight assignments.
astro-nut Member
Posts: 1028 From: Washington, IL Registered: Jan 2006
posted 06-23-2017 01:39 PM
Congratulations to our 12 new astronaut candidates!
Is there anyway to find out who the 120 finalists were that they were selected from? It is always interesting to see who made the final selections, but did not make it to the candidate status.
dcfowler1 Member
Posts: 134 From: Eugene, OR Registered: May 2006
posted 06-24-2017 12:17 AM
I've tried, but AHX has had a change of personnel, and they seem no longer willing to divulge this information.
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member
Posts: 3458 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-24-2017 01:17 AM
Might have to brute force this.
Sarah Kessans, 33, a University of Canterbury (New Zealand) researcher, was one of the 120.
Christine Corbett Moran was one of the 50. She's an astronomy and astrophysics postdoctoral fellow at Caltech.
Also: Jose Hurtado, 42, University of Texas at El Paso professor of geological sciences, was one of the 120. This was Hurtado’s fourth application, and his third time being a semifinalist in NASA’s selection process. In 2008 and 2012 he was among the semifinalists, but in 2004 he did not advance to the semifinalist round.
East-Frisian Member
Posts: 644 From: Germany Registered: Apr 2005
posted 06-24-2017 01:26 AM
So there are "only" 106 to find out.
eurospace Member
Posts: 2668 From: Berlin, Germany Registered: Dec 2000
posted 07-02-2017 11:39 PM
Will there be any Japanese or European astronaut candidates to join the class?
dcfowler1 Member
Posts: 134 From: Eugene, OR Registered: May 2006
posted 07-02-2017 11:54 PM
JAXA would seem to be at capacity. ESA now trains its own astronaut classes in Europe.
astro-nut Member
Posts: 1028 From: Washington, IL Registered: Jan 2006
posted 07-08-2017 10:39 AM
Just a question looking forward: Does anyone know when NASA will announce the next astronaut selection and class? I thought that I read that it might be in 2021?
Also, will the new candidates of Group 22 fly space station missions or do we think they will actually fly in SpaceX, Boeing and SLS vehicles?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-08-2017 11:01 AM
NASA has not announced the next astronaut selection. As for where the 2017 ascans will fly, as Loral O'Hara said:
One of the things I think that was a bigger focus in this selection was skills that are appropriate for longer-term spaceflight, so stays on the ISS that are six months or longer, or possible deeper space exploration missions.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-16-2017 12:04 PM
Warren "Woody" Hoburg had conflicted feelings about being selected as an astronaut.
The 31-year-old, who joined the MIT faculty in 2014, had become deeply—and happily—enmeshed in his academic career. He and his students had just flown a lightweight, long-duration drone built with the help of a powerful software tool for optimizing airplane design, called GPkit, that he had created. The U.S. Air Force, which has funded the work, hopes to use the drone to maintain communications during disaster relief, but Hoburg was already thinking of many other uses. His research team had "so much momentum" that it was "hard for me to just end it," he says.
...Hoburg's initial plan was to maintain a formal link with his many projects by going on temporary leave from MIT. Although Hoburg and the other astronaut candidates hope their 2 years of training at NASA's Johnson Space Center will be followed by a chance to go into space, he wanted to hedge his bets. "It's a little unclear what will happen after the training ends," he explains.
So Hoburg requested a 2-year leave of absence," he says, which would have covered the initial length of training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. But MIT said no. "I was basically advised to resign," Hoburg says. "I'm not complaining. [Becoming an astronaut] is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I couldn't pass up. And it was pretty wild to be told, as a junior faculty member, that this other amazing dream of mine had come true."
MSS Member
Posts: 994 From: Europe Registered: May 2003
posted 09-17-2017 12:41 PM
According to Ellen Ochoa on Twitter:
And it's official — the Turtles!! (On fenceposts, in a Harvey flood).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
What do you call a group of new astronaut trainees who are a tad green around the collar, a bit shell-shocked at being selected and who together faced having their new home submerged underwater just as they arrived at NASA?
"The Turtles," of course.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
A member of NASA's latest class of astronaut candidates has resigned from the space agency before completing his basic training.
Robb Kulin, 35, is leaving the program just over a year after he was chosen to join NASA's 22nd group of spaceflight trainees. His departure reduces the 2017 class, nicknamed "The Turtles," to 11 members.
Kulin's resignation, effective on Friday (Aug. 31), is "for personal reasons," NASA public affairs officer Brandi Dean told reporters on Monday. No further details were released.
MarylandSpace Member
Posts: 1407 From: Registered: Aug 2002
posted 09-27-2018 07:45 PM
The newest class of ASCANS were at NASA Headquarters for a NASA Social today. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine moderated a very well qualified and a very enthusiastic group of astronauts.
Delta7 Member
Posts: 1718 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
posted 08-06-2019 05:08 PM
They should be making the transition to active astronauts very soon. Any word on when?
astro-nut Member
Posts: 1028 From: Washington, IL Registered: Jan 2006
posted 08-09-2019 03:54 PM
I believe they will become active astronauts later this month or in September.
I have seen what I think is the class patch for Group 22 and it contains the Node-3/Tranquility markings along with a turtle. I have received replies from three of the candidates in the mail.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-09-2019 04:05 PM
The class patch was revealed by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in 2018.
Delta7 Member
Posts: 1718 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
posted 12-02-2019 05:22 PM
quote:Originally posted by astro-nut: I believe they will become active astronauts later this month or in September.
It's now December...
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-18-2019 01:13 PM
NASA release
NASA's Astronaut Candidates to Graduate with Eye on Artemis Missions
NASA will honor the first class of astronaut candidates to graduate under the Artemis program at 10:30 a.m. EST Friday, Jan. 10, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. After completing more than two years of basic training, these candidates will become eligible for spaceflight, including assignments to the International Space Station, Artemis missions to the Moon, and ultimately, missions to Mars.
The ceremony will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.
The class includes 11 NASA candidates, as well as two Canadian Space Agency (CSA) candidates, selected in 2017. The NASA candidates were chosen from a record-setting pool of more than 18,000 applicants. The CSA candidates have been training alongside their NASA classmates.
All astronaut candidates have completed training in spacewalking, robotics, International Space Station systems, T-38 jet proficiency, and Russian language. At the ceremony, each candidate will receive an astronaut pin, marking their graduation from basic training and their eligibility to be selected to fly in space.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-10-2020 07:17 AM
NASA video
It’s graduation season for our new astronauts!
Tune in Friday, Jan. 10 starting at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT) to see a new class of astronauts graduate basic training to join the active astronaut corps and begin their careers in space exploration. After two years of training, they will become eligible for missions that may take them to the International Space Station, the Moon under our #Artemis program, or someday, Mars.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
NASA's newest astronauts are ready to come out of their shells and walk on the moon.
Nicknamed the "Turtles," the space agency's 22nd class of astronauts graduated from basic training and became eligible for spaceflight assignments on Friday (Jan. 10). A ceremony held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston honored the 11 Americans, together with two Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronauts who trained with them.
Glint Member
Posts: 1111 From: New Windsor, Maryland USA Registered: Jan 2004
posted 01-12-2020 02:51 PM
As I understand it, Maj. Moghbeli is a German-born naturalized American whose parents fled Iran following the revolution when the mullahs took over. We are privileged to have her serving in the astronaut corp.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49865 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-12-2020 03:03 PM
The New Yorker published a great profile piece about "Badass Astronaut" Jasmin "Jaws" Moghbeli and her background when she was selected in 2017.
"That's part of what’s so great about America, right? You have all these people, from different backgrounds, and we share some of the same values as Americans generally, but then there is so much tradition and culture behind each one of our different backgrounds," she said.
posted 06-07-2017 02:45 PM
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