NASA Chooses 10 Astronaut Candidates for 2-Year Training for Space Station

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - NASA announced on Monday that it has chosen ten new astronaut candidates who will participate in training programs for possible work at the International Space Station (ISS).

“Today, we welcome ten new explorers, ten members of the Artemis generation, NASA’s 2021 astronaut candidate class,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. “Alone, each candidate has ‘the right stuff,’ but together they represent the creed of our country.”

Nelson explained that the candidates from nine US states and Puerto-Rico were chosen from a pool of 12,000 applicants and will begin the two-years training in January.

“Astronaut candidate training falls into five major categories: operating and maintaining the International Space Station's complex systems, training for spacewalks, developing complex robotics skills, safely operating a T-38 training jet and Russian language skills,” NASA said.

Upon completing their training, the candidates could be assigned to missions that involve performing research aboard the ISS, but may include deep space missions to the Moon on NASA’s Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket, NASA added.