09/25/2025
For the first time in NASA's 66-year history, women outnumber men in an astronaut class. The 2025 cohort of 10 candidates -- six women and four men -- represents a watershed moment in space exploration, marking a dramatic shift from the all-male Mercury Seven crew selected in 1959. Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA Johnson, marked the occasion, observing: "Representing America's best and brightest, this astronaut candidate class will usher in the Golden Age of innovation and exploration as we push toward the Moon and Mars."
The six groundbreaking women bring remarkably diverse expertise to NASA's ambitious missions. Dr. Lauren Edgar, a geologist from Washington, spent 17 years supporting Mars exploration rovers and served as deputy principal investigator for the Artemis III Geology Team. Anna Menon, a biomedical engineer from Houston, already made history as part of SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, setting a new female altitude record at 875 miles above Earth. Rebecca Lawler, a former Navy lieutenant commander from Texas, accumulated 2,800 flight hours across 45 aircraft and flew as a hurricane hunter for NOAA.
Dr. Imelda Muller, a former Navy undersea medical officer from New York, brings expertise in anesthesiology and operational diving medicine. Erin Overcash, a Navy lieutenant commander from Kentucky, logged 1,300 flight hours including 249 carrier landings and trained with USA Rugby's national team. Katherine Spies, a former Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot from California, brings over 2,000 flight hours and experience as a test pilot and flight test engineering director.
NASA's 10 new astronaut candidates were selected through a rigorous process that began with applications opening in March 2024 and drew more than 8,000 applicants from across the United States. The selection process itself took roughly two years to complete, culminating in the candidates reporting for duty at NASA Johnson in mid-September where they immediately began their intensive training. After completing nearly two years of preparation, the 2025 class will graduate to join the agency's active astronaut corps, becoming eligible for flight assignments supporting future missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
Congratulations to all the members of NASA's new astronaut class!
To introduce kids to trailblazing women of NASA, we highly recommend "Margaret and the Moon" for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/margaret-and-the-moon), "A Computer Called Katherine" for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/a-computer-called-katherine), Galaxy Girls" for ages 7 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/galaxy-girls), and "Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts" for ages 8 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/gutsy-girls-astronauts)
For a thrilling introduction to more pioneering women of space, we recommend the inspiring graphic novel "Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier," for ages 10 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/astronauts-women-on-the-final-frontier
To inspire the space-loving Mighty Girls in your life, you can find more books about mighty women of space and space-themed toys in our blog post "Reach for the Stars!" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=16848
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Thanks to Lean In for sharing this image!
