Summer Training: Catching Up With NASA’s Astronaut Candidates
Did you spend part of your summer camping, hiking, at the pool, or in an aircraft? So did NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class. The 10 candidates have been working their way through a comprehensive and rigorous training program since the agency introduced them to the public on Sept. 22, 2025, from NASA’s Johnson Space Center […]
NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class embarked on a comprehensive and rigorous training program following their public introduction on September 22, 2025. With approximately six months elapsed in their nearly two-year journey, the group of ten candidates is now in the midst of their training, preparing for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and eventually, Mars.
As future Artemis mission astronauts may be tasked with lunar surface exploration, geology training holds significant importance for these candidates. Classroom instruction in Houston provided foundational knowledge, which was followed by field training at the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico. The hands-on experience allowed the candidates to practice geologic observations, sampling techniques, navigation, and teamwork—essential skills for Artemis lunar missions.
Additionally, some candidates expanded their geology training to Iceland in July, participating alongside NASA astronauts and Artemis mission support teams. They honed their geologic observations, sampling with specialized tools, navigation, and teamwork, all of which are directly applicable to Artemis lunar missions.
Written by urgent.news from NASA's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
