NASA’s astronauts are American heroes and proxies for our hopes and dreams. The best part of each new astronaut class is that we get an entirely fresh crop of people we can live vicariously through, and this year is no exception. Today, NASA announced its 22nd space squad. Although over 18,000 applied, the space agency decided that just 12 had the right stuff.
The dozen, disturbingly talented astronaut candidates will train at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for two years. It’s possible that this crew will fly beyond Low Earth Orbit, maybe even to Mars.
“It’s an exciting time to be here at NASA,” NASA acting administrator Robert Lightfoot told the crowd gathered at the agency’s Johnson Space Center today. “One of these folks behind us could be the one that takes that next iconic leap and says the words similar to what Neil Armstrong said when he stepped on the Moon.”
The 12-member crew is comprised of five women and seven men, all between the ages of 28 and 42. According to collectSPACE, the team is made up of six military officers, three scientists, two medical doctors, a SpaceX engineer, and a NASA research pilot.
Here are the 12 golden-retriever-human-beings NASA has ranked above all of us:
Kayla Barron
The 29-year-old Washington native is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, where she studied systems engineering. She also holds a Master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cambridge. Not too shabby.