The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is getting ready for the upcoming Artemis mission in 2024. The agency's immediate plan is to design and build a base and transport astronauts -- including the first woman to set foot -- on the moon. NASA designed the Artemis mission as a stepping stone to future manned missions to Mars and the trip to the moon is the primary testbed for the mission.
Recently, NASA announced the first batch of astronauts to train under the Artemis program after their formal graduation from the two-year basic astronaut training. Out of 18,000 applicants, 11 astronauts from the agency were chosen and 2 astronauts were chosen from the Canadian Space Agency. The astronauts are deemed capable of doing spaceflight missions to the International Space Station and someday, to Mars. These astronauts completed training in spacewalking, robotics, got familiar with the systems within the International Space Station, mastered T-38 jet proficiency, and the Russian language. According to NASA's press release, their primary tasks as astronauts are to develop and tweak spacecraft and support the teams that are currently in space.
Get to know the astronauts who were shortlisted for the future Artemis missions.
Hailing from Richland, Washington, Kayla graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor's degree in systems engineering. She earned her master's degree at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Baron served aboard the USS Maine as a submarine warfare officer and was able to complete three strategic deterrent patrols and earning the title Navy Lieutenant.
Zena is from Williamsburg, Virginia and was able to complete her bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She worked as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at the Pennsylvania State University where her research mostly focused on microorganisms in subsurface environments. Cardman was a part of multiple expeditions to the Antarctic and worked aboard research vessels as both a scientist and a crew member.
Raja is a United States Air Force colonel from Cedar Falls, Iowa. He graduated with degrees in astronautical engineering and engineering science from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He then continued studying and earned his master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusettes Institute of Technology and later on graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River in Maryland. He served as the commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in Calfornia.
Born and raised in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Matthew is a lieutenant commander of the US Navy. He has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of San Diego and gained his master's degree in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He also served on the USS Ronald Reagan as the department head for the Strike Fighter Squadron 115.
Bob is a lieutenant colonel of the US Air Force. He is from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania but attained a bachelor's degree in engineering from Boston University and a master's degree in flight test engineering from the US Air Force Test Pilot School. He served as a developmental test pilot for all models of F-15 while obtaining a master's degree at the University of Alabama.
Another Pennsylvania native, Warren earned his bachelor's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as a commercial pilot and was able to spend years serving on the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit and the Yosemite Search and Rescue.
Dr. Kim is born and raised in Los Angeles California and enlisted in the US Navy where he trained and operated with the Navy SEALs. During his time with the Navy, he was able to complete more than 100 combat operations and even earned both Silver Star and Bronze Star with Cobat V. He went on to get a degree in mathematics at the University of San Diego and a doctorate of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He works as a resident physician in emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Jasmin hails from Baldwin, New York and earned her bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering at MIT and a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School. A distinguished graduate of the US Naval Test Pilot School, Jasmin is a Marine Corps major when she came to NASA to test H-1 helicopters and served as quality assurance and avionics officer for Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1.
Loral was born and raised in Houston. She got her bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas and her master's degree from Purdue University. She was a research engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts where she was responsible for the engineering, test, and operations of deep-ocean submarines and robots.
Dr. Rubio is a lieutenant colonel of the US Army. He earned his degree in International Relations from the US Military Academy at West Point, New York and a doctorate of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science in Bethesda, Maryland. He worked as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot wherein he was able to accumulate more than 1000 hours including 600-hour combat and imminent danger time. He served as a surgeon fro the 3rd Battalion of the Army's 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Carson, Colorado.
Joshua is a lieutenant colonel from the Royal Canadian Air Force. He hails from Beauvallon, Alberta and is one of the two Canadian representatives in this batch of astronauts. He has a degree in mechanical engineering as well as a master's degree in space studies, flight and test engineering, and defense studies.
Jennifer is from Calgary, Alberta and along with Joshua Kutryk, represents the Canadian Space Agency in this batch of astronauts. She obtained her honors bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University in Montreal and earned her doctorate in engineering from the University of Cambridge.
Jessica is from Lafayette, Colorado and she earned her degree in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. She got her doctorate degree in Geology from the University of California Los Angeles. She used to work at NASA's Ames Research Center and in Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She then obtained her doctorate degree at the California Intitute of Technology where she was able to work on NASA's Curiousity Rover.
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