NASA is set to announce its new astronaut class on September 22, 2025, during a live-streamed event from the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The announcement will take place at 12:30 p.m. EDT (16:30 GMT; 11:30 a.m. local time), allowing space enthusiasts worldwide to watch the selection of the 2025 astronaut candidates.
The event will be accessible via various platforms, including NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and NASA’s official YouTube channel. Additionally, coverage will be available on NASA’s X account, with Space.com expected to simulcast the announcement, depending on NASA’s streaming arrangements. The candidates were selected from a competitive pool of approximately 8,000 applicants.
Following the announcement, the selected astronaut candidates will enter a rigorous training program that lasts about two years. Upon completion, they will be certified as full astronauts, qualifying them for future missions.
Media Briefings on Artemis 2 Mission
In conjunction with the astronaut class announcement, NASA will host media briefings on September 23 and September 24 to discuss the upcoming Artemis 2 mission, which aims to send four astronauts on a journey around the moon no earlier than April 2026. These briefings will also stream live on NASA’s YouTube channel and X account.
The Artemis 2 crew includes notable figures such as Reid Wiseman serving as commander, Victor Glover as pilot, and Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen as mission specialists. Glover will make history as the first Black astronaut to participate in a moon mission, while Koch will be the first woman to do so, and Hansen will become the first non-American astronaut to fly to the moon.
The schedule for the Artemis 2 briefings is as follows:
– **September 23**:
– 11 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. local time, 15:00 GMT): Mission overview briefing featuring:
– Lakiesha Hawkins, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
– Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis Launch Director, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
– Judd Frieling, Lead Artemis 2 Ascent Flight Director, NASA Johnson
– Jeff Radigan, Lead Artemis 2 Flight Director, NASA Johnson
– Rick Henfling, Lead Artemis 2 Entry Flight Director, NASA Johnson
– Daniel Florez, Test Director, Exploration Ground Systems, NASA Kennedy
– 1 p.m. EDT (12 p.m. local time, 17:00 GMT): Artemis 2 Science and Technology briefing with:
– Matt Ramsey, Artemis 2 Mission Manager, NASA Headquarters
– Debbie Korth, Deputy Orion Program Manager, NASA Johnson
– Jacob Bleacher, Manager, Science, Technology Utilization, and Integration, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
– Mark Clampin, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
– **September 24**:
– 10 a.m. EDT (12 p.m. local time, 14:00 GMT): Artemis 2 Crew News Conference featuring:
– Reid Wiseman, Commander
– Victor Glover, Pilot
– Christina Koch, Mission Specialist
– Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist
As NASA continues its preparations for the Artemis program, the announcement of the new astronaut candidates marks a significant step forward in advancing human exploration of space.
