NASAs newest astronaut class, the Turtles, become eligible for space missions

Today, NASA and Canada’s newest class of astronaut candidates graduated to full astronaut status in Houston, making them officially eligible to be assigned to upcoming missions to space. This latest class, nicknamed the Turtles, could potentially fly to the International Space Station on newly developed commercial vehicles, or they could even be assigned to future flights to the surface of the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program.

“They represent the first wave of NASA’s Artemis generation astronauts,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said during a ceremony presenting the Turtle class. “I want to repeat that. This is the Artemis generation.”

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