Newest Class of Astronauts has Women Outnumber Men
As a child, I went through a phase where I dreamed of becoming an astronaut, a common aspiration but one that deeply captured my imagination at the time. The idea of being closer to the stars intrigued me, but like all childhood phases, it eventually came to an end. For the women of NASA’s newest class of astronauts, though, this dream could become a reality. According to multiple sources, ten astronauts were selected from a pool of over 8,000 applicants. There’s even speculation that some members of the group could one day set foot on the Moon or perhaps even Mars. For now, they are considered candidates and must complete several years of training before taking their next steps.
The women in this group include Lauren Edgar, Rebecca Lawler, Anna Menon, Dr. Imelda Muller, Erin Overcash, and Katherine Spies, each bringing unique expertise and experience to NASA’s newest class of astronauts (Wellbank).
Candidate Lauren Edgar, a geologist with more than 17 years of mission operations experience, previously worked with the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA, focusing on remote sensing and field techniques for planetary exploration (NASA).
Rebecca Lawler, a former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, served as a hurricane hunter with NOAA and flew as a P-3 Orion research pilot during NASA’s Operation IceBridge (NASA).
Anna Menon, a former senior engineer at SpaceX, flew to space as a mission specialist and medical officer on Polaris Dawn and previously supported medical systems for the International Space Station while working in NASA’s Mission Control (NASA).
Dr. Imelda Muller, a former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, served as an undersea medical officer. Her experience includes providing medical support during Navy operational diving training at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center in Houston (NASA).
Candidate Erin Overcash, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, is an experienced F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot who has completed multiple deployments.
Katherine Spies is an AH-1 attack helicopter pilot and Marine Corps test pilot who, at the time of selection, worked for Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation as the director of flight test engineering.
These women represent female pioneers everywhere. They are making history not only as the first class of astronauts where women outnumber men, but also as future explorers of the solar system.