Ten people positioned to reach the Moon or Mars
Desde os primeiros astronautas do programa Mercury, a NASA tem selecionado, geração após geração, aqueles que carregarão a ambição humana para além da atmosfera. Desta vez, dez pessoas — escolhidas entre mais de 12 mil candidatos — foram convocadas para integrar a 23ª turma de astronautas da agência, a primeira formada sob o programa Artemis. Elas iniciarão seu treinamento em janeiro de 2022, posicionando-se como possíveis protagonistas do retorno humano à Lua e, quem sabe, da primeira jornada tripulada a Marte.
- Mais de 12 mil pessoas se candidataram — apenas dez foram escolhidas, após um processo seletivo adiado pela pandemia e marcado por exigências técnicas e físicas rigorosas.
- A nova turma chega em um momento de virada: é a primeira selecionada desde que a NASA lançou o programa Artemis, que reacende a corrida humana à Lua após décadas de ausência.
- Os dez candidatos — quatro mulheres e seis homens, entre militares, cientistas, médicos e um piloto — passarão dois anos absorvendo sistemas de naves, técnicas de caminhada espacial e conhecimentos operacionais.
- Ao fim do treinamento, estarão elegíveis para missões reais, mas se algum deles pisará na Lua ou em Marte ainda depende de designações futuras e do ritmo do programa espacial.
A NASA anunciou esta semana os nomes dos dez integrantes de sua 23ª turma de candidatos a astronautas — quatro mulheres e seis homens que, em janeiro de 2022, darão início a dois anos de treinamento intensivo. Eles poderão ser designados para missões à Estação Espacial Internacional, à Lua ou a Marte.
Chegar até aqui não foi simples. Quando as inscrições abriram em março de 2020, mais de 12 mil pessoas se candidataram. O processo, alongado pela pandemia, exigiu cidadania americana, mestrado em áreas científicas ou tecnológicas, ao menos três anos de experiência profissional — ou mil horas de voo em aeronaves a jato — e aprovação nos exames físicos da agência. Os dez selecionados são: Nichole Ayers, Marcos Berríos, Christina Birch, Deniz Burnham, Luke Delaney, Andre Douglas, Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon, Christopher Williams e Jessica Wittner. Entre eles, sete militares, dois cientistas, dois médicos e um piloto.
Esta turma tem um peso simbólico particular: é a primeira formada sob o programa Artemis, a iniciativa da NASA voltada ao retorno humano à superfície lunar e à preparação para missões tripuladas a Marte. Se algum desses dez chegará de fato à Lua ou ao planeta vermelho ainda é incerto — dependerá das missões que lhes forem atribuídas e do curso de suas carreiras. Mas eles agora fazem parte dessa possibilidade.
Com essa adição, o corpo ativo de astronautas da NASA chegará a 44 membros, e o total de pessoas treinadas pela agência desde sua fundação alcançará 360. A cada nova turma, a NASA renova o mesmo gesto: escolher aqueles que, em nome de todos, seguirão adiante.
This week, NASA announced the names of ten people who will soon begin training to become astronauts. Four are women. Six are men. Together, they represent the 23rd group of astronaut candidates the agency has selected since the Mercury 7 program launched in 1959. In January 2022, they will start a two-year training regimen that could eventually send them to the International Space Station, the Moon, or Mars.
The selection process was grueling. More than 12,000 people applied when recruitment opened in March 2020, though the timeline stretched longer than planned due to the pandemic. The ten who made it through had to clear several hurdles: they must be American citizens, hold a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, and have at least three years of professional experience in their field. Those without advanced degrees needed to have logged at least 1,000 hours piloting jet aircraft. Everyone underwent NASA's physical examinations.
The final group breaks down as seven military officers, two scientists, two physicians, and one pilot. Their names are Nichole Ayers, Marcos Berríos, Christina Birch, Deniz Burnham, Luke Delaney, Andre Douglas, Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon, Christopher Williams, and Jessica Wittner. Over the next twenty-four months, they will learn the systems of spacecraft, master the techniques of spacewalking, and absorb the technical knowledge NASA's instructors provide. After that, they will be eligible for assignment to actual missions.
This cohort arrives at a significant moment. They are the first astronauts selected since NASA launched its Artemis program, the initiative designed to return humans to the lunar surface and eventually pursue crewed missions to Mars. Whether any of these ten will actually set foot on the Moon or the red planet remains uncertain—that depends on which missions they are assigned to and how their careers unfold. But they are now positioned to be part of that effort.
NASA's active astronaut corps currently numbers 44. With these ten additions, the agency will have trained 360 people since it began operations more than six decades ago. The space program has always been a pipeline of ambition and preparation, and this new class represents the latest generation stepping into that tradition.
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does NASA need to select astronauts now, specifically? Aren't there already forty-four active astronauts?
The Artemis program is ambitious. Getting people to the Moon and eventually Mars requires more hands, more expertise, more redundancy in the pipeline. You need people in training while others are flying missions.
What's the actual barrier to entry here? It sounds like you need to be a military pilot or a scientist with a PhD.
Not quite. You need a master's degree in a STEM field and three years of work experience, or you need to be a jet pilot with a thousand hours logged. It's rigorous, but it's not exclusively military. They selected two doctors, two scientists, a pilot, and seven military officers.
Twelve thousand people applied. What were they looking for that only ten had?
Combination of things. The credentials matter—you can't fake a master's degree or a thousand hours in a cockpit. But NASA also runs physical exams, psychological evaluations, and interviews. They're looking for people who can handle isolation, work in teams, stay calm under extreme stress, and think clearly when things go wrong.
How long until one of these ten could actually go to space?
Two years of training, minimum. After that, they're eligible for assignment. But getting a seat on an actual mission—that could take years longer. The pipeline is long.
Is it possible none of them ever go to space?
Yes. It's possible. Some astronauts train their whole careers and never fly. That's the reality of the job.