"On Monday, the space agency announced the 10 people chosen for its 2025 astronaut candidate class, selected from over 8,000 applicants across the U.S. That's an acceptance rate of about 0.125%, making the odds far more daunting than Harvard's 4% admission rate. For the first time in NASA's history, women outnumber men in the latest astronaut class: Six women and four men will undergo two years of intensive training, preparing for future missions to the International Space Station, the Moon, and even Mars."
""Today, our mission propels us even further as we prepare for our next giant leap with NASA's newest astronaut candidate class," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, in a press release. "Representing America's best and brightest, this astronaut candidate class will usher in the Golden Age of innovation and exploration as we push toward the Moon and Mars.""
"Unlike most students, NASA astronaut candidates earn generous government salaries during their training, and if they successfully complete the program and become full astronauts, their annual pay can reach $152,000. While lucrative compared to most graduate programs, it comes with unique challenges and without the prospective of overtime and hazard pay."
NASA chose 10 astronaut candidates in 2025 from more than 8,000 applicants, yielding an acceptance rate near 0.125%. The class includes six women and four men, marking the first time women outnumber men in a NASA astronaut class. The selected candidates will undergo two years of intensive training to prepare for missions to the International Space Station, the Moon, and Mars. Trainees receive government salaries during training and, if appointed as astronauts, can earn annual pay up to $152,000. Astronaut compensation excludes overtime and hazard pay, and extended missions can yield only minimal additional daily pay.
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