HOUSTON — Over 12,000 applicants were eligible to become part of NASA's 2021 astronaut recruitment class. 10 were selected and celebrated in an event near the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Half of those selected have connections to the Hampton Roads area.
“Today we welcome 10 new explorers, 10 members of the Artemis generation, NASA’s 2021 astronaut candidate class,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Alone, each candidate has ‘the right stuff,’ but together they represent the creed of our country: E Pluribus Unum – out of many, one.”
The 10 candidates will begin their two years of training at Johnson Space Center starting in January 2022.
They will learn how to maintain systems at the International Space Station, practice spacewalk training, develop robotic skills, operate a T-38 training jet and speak Russian.
“Each of you has amazing backgrounds,” Pam Melroy, a former NASA astronaut and NASA’s deputy administrator said. “You bring diversity in so many forms to our astronaut corps and you stepped up to one of the highest and most exciting forms of public service.”
The following selected candidates have been connected to the area:
- Luke Delaney worked as a research pilot with NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton.
- Andre Douglas is originally from Chesapeake.
- Jack Hathaway was a commander in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach.
- Nichole Ayers was stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis and Langley Air Force Base in Hampton.
- Jessica Wittner was stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach.
It's something Chesapeake native Douglas has prepared for his whole life.
"Ever since I was little, I've always been passionate about trying to figure out the new and exciting. This is the ultimate job for that," he said.
Douglas worked as a naval architect for the U.S. Coast Guard where he designed ships. He also designed spacecraft to explore. He said the skills made him ready for any task at hand.
"Any job or any assignment they throw at me is going to be a blessing and with my versatile skills, I'm just ready to tackle the mission they throw at me," he said.
Delaney is another member excited for the new journey ahead.
Delaney worked as a research pilot at NASA's Langley Research Center before being selected for the class. He's looking forward to traveling to the moon.
"It's really exciting if we start building stuff on the moon, some infrastructure and having a more continuous presence up there," he said. "That is just going to extend our knowledge base."
Now, they're ready to start training and explore.
"To kind of go forward and do some of the things my predecessor do, that just blows my mind," Douglas said. "So I think about that like wow that's really exciting to be able to make a big impact for this organization for the benefit of mankind."