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Astronauts

NASA Astronaut Class of 2013 Announced

By Marc Boucher
NASA Watch
June 17, 2013
Filed under

NASA Selects Next Generation of Space Explorers [Watch], NASA
After an extensive year-and-a-half search, NASA has a new group of potential astronauts who will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system, including an asteroid and Mars.
Eight candidates have been selected to be NASA’s newest astronaut trainees, hoping to be among those who are the first to launch from U.S. soil on commercial American spacecraft since the retirement of the space shuttle.

– NASA will discuss the selections at 3 p.m. CDT Monday via a Google+ Hangout.
Marc’s note: Call me skeptical, but perhaps some of these astronauts will make a fly-by of Mars or to its moons, but to land, I don’t see that in the next 20 years with the current political situation. If a private-public attempt was made, say SpaceX teaming up with NASA, then maybe. And while there’s ongoing “big picture” work for an international effort, until a decision is made by a President that it will happen and Congress buys into, it’s just a dream.

SpaceRef co-founder, entrepreneur, writer, podcaster, nature lover and deep thinker.

5 responses to “NASA Astronaut Class of 2013 Announced”

  1. Zach says:
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    The lesson is, if you want to be an astronaut join the military.

    • Anonymous says:
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      Will NASA give them courses in Catonese or Mandarin, like ESA has for its astronauts? Of course, Russian is compulsory.

  2. Steve Whitfield says:
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    Maybe these 8 astronauts will do exciting things, maybe not. But either way, they’re showing us that the spirit is still alive and not everybody has given up.

  3. hikingmike says:
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    “hoping to be among those who are the first to launch from U.S. soil on commercial American spacecraft since the retirement of the space shuttle”

    What about SLS? And was the Space Shuttle “commercial”? I guess it means the “first to launch from U.S. soil” since Shuttle and the commercial part was just thrown in but a few ways to interpret this.

  4. Scott says:
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    Well, to this observer it sure looks like NASA has gone for maximum sizzle and PR value with this group. Not sure if that meant these were the ‘best’, but they sure are the most Politically Correct. Don’t believe me? Take a look:

    Maj. Nicole Mann, USMC. Let’s see….female= Yes, Marine Jet Pilot=Yes (1st since 2004), Native American=Yes, Medically Qualified=No. It appears that NASA was so excited to check so many ‘boxes’ that why should they let a condition that medically disqualifies you for spaceflight (i.e. – Celiac Disease) stand in the way of inviting her to be an astronaut.

    Lt. Cdr. Victor Glover, USN. Check out his Naval Call Sign (given to him by his fellow pilots): IKE (I Know Everything). I guess being a team player isn’t that important when you are an African American military test pilot.

    Lt. Col. Tyler Hague, USAF. A Flight Test Engineer that isn’t actually working in test and has a reputation for being difficult to work with? Maybe there was some truth to the rumor that most of the USAF interviewees were disqualified in the final round and NASA had to pick someone in a blue uniform.

    Maj. Anne McClain, USA. NASA had to delay the announcement of the 2013 astronauts by over a week just so that could call her a ‘recent graduate’. Did the Army not have any TPS graduates apply or was NASA just that excited to get their hands on a military officer that is also a lesbian female?

    Maj. Andrew Morgan, USA. Special Operations always sounds super cool, but it still sounds a little strange to have ‘flight surgeon’ that has never actually worked with pilots in a flying squadron.

    Mr. Josh Cassada, This one was a pretty slick move by NASA. Cassada went through both interview rounds as a Navy officer and only left active duty just a few months ago. Now they get a Navy pilot for their T-38s while having it still look like they selected three civilians. Most expect Cassada to return to active duty when he reports for astronaut training since he only needs a few more years to qualify for a military retirement.

    Ms. Jessica Meir. Another one that sounds really good: Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School. Almost sounds like she is a doctor. I’m just wondering how research on penguins and geese has relevance to spaceflight unless there are plans to send birds to Mars with the first astronauts?

    Ms. Christina Hammock. OSP and Congress have been pushing NASA into the climate research business, so I guess the NOAA connection makes sense. Plus, it was clear that another female was needed because does anyone really believe that it was just an accident that there were equal numbers of males and females
    selected?