NASA Unveils New Astronaut Class, Artemis II Update

NASA’s Artemis II — a 10-day crewed lunar flyby using the SLS rocket and Orion capsule carrying Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — is on track for April 2026 and could potentially move into a launch window opening as early as Feb. 5, 2026, though officials say safety and hardware readiness will dictate any date change. The mission is a critical precursor to the more complex Artemis III lunar landing planned for 2027 using a SpaceX Starship lander and is part of a multi-billion-dollar U.S. effort amid international competition. NASA also unveiled a new class of 10 astronaut candidates selected from more than 8,000 applicants who will undergo nearly two years of training to become eligible for assignments supporting the ISS, Artemis missions and future exploration of the Moon and Mars; notable selectees named in the later report include Marine helicopter pilot Katherine Spies and physician Imelda Muller. Academic and commercial groups are expanding near-term access to space for research — Purdue University announced a “Purdue 1” Virgin Galactic suborbital research flight planned for 2027 — broadening opportunities for microgravity experiments. NASA reiterated that crew safety and spacecraft preparedness will determine final schedules as the agency transitions toward lunar exploration and eventual retirement of the ISS by 2030.