NASA announced the latest group of Astronaut trainees on Monday.
The eight potential space travelers includes four men and four women, ranging in age from 34 to 39. The first new class of astronauts to be selected since 2009 will join 49 already active astronauts. The recruiting process started in November 2011, and NASA recieved a record 6,100 applications for the spots.
They will get a ton of training at NASA facilities and prepare for possible missions to low-Earth orbit, an asteroid, or even to Mars. Their training starts in August. After Commander Chris Hadfield's retirement after his stint on the International Space Station, we hope it will include social media training.
It will probably be another two to four years before NASA culls another group.
Andrew R. Morgan is a 37-year-old Major in the U.S. Army from New Castle, Pa. He graduated from West Point, and earned a doctorate in medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He has experience as an emergency physician and flight surgeon, and is currently completing a sports medicine fellowship.
Christina M. Hammock, 34, calls Jacksonville, N.C. home. Hammock holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from North Carolina State University. She currently is serving as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Station Chief in American Samoa.
Josh A. Cassada, Ph. D., 39, is originally from White Bear Lake, Minn. Cassada is a former naval aviator who holds an undergraduate degree from Albion College, and advanced degrees from the University of Rochester. Cassada is a physicist by training and currently is serving as co-founder and Chief Technology Officer for Quantum Opus, a company developing quantum computing and communication.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider