NASA’s new astronaut class includes SpaceX veterans Anna Menon and Yuri Kubo

9:43 AM PDT · September 23, 2025

The impact of SpaceX on the astronaut-training landscape continues to grow, with its alumni making significant contributions to NASA.

This week, NASA proudly announced its newly selected astronaut class for 2025, with notable former SpaceX employees Anna Menon and Yuri Kubo among the ten aspirants. Their impressive track records in the aerospace industry exemplify a shift in how astronaut qualifications are attained and serve as a testament to SpaceX’s influence on space exploration.

Anna Menon, who transitioned to SpaceX in 2018, has a rich background at NASA, primarily in Mission Control where she provided vital biomedical support to astronauts. At SpaceX, she took on the role of Senior Engineer, contributing to private astronaut missions and serving as a mission specialist and medical officer on the Polaris Dawn mission, noted for achieving several groundbreaking milestones, including the first commercial spacewalk.

Meanwhile, Yuri Kubo dedicated a remarkable 12 years at SpaceX, acting as a Falcon 9 launch director and undertaking senior responsibilities within the Starshield program and ground systems management.

This astronaut class is extraordinary as it was selected from more than 8,000 applicants, highlighting the rigorous selection process. Over the next two years, they will undergo intense training, which incorporates diverse subjects such as robotics, geology, foreign languages, and space medicine. Additionally, they will engage in simulated spacewalks and flight operations training, as stated by NASA.

Upon successful completion of their training, these new astronauts will join over 40 active astronauts and will be key players in supporting NASA’s transition to commercial space stations after the retirement of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030. They are also positioned to participate in future exploratory missions to the Moon and Mars.

This isn’t the first instance of SpaceX personnel moving into NASA’s astronaut program. Robb Kulin, a former director of flight reliability at SpaceX, was a candidate in NASA’s 2017 astronaut class. Furthermore, Anil Menon, the first flight surgeon and medical director at SpaceX, was included in the Artemis generation of astronauts in 2021, marking another example of SpaceX’s impact on the field. Notably, Anil and Anna are spouses.

This trend clearly indicates how SpaceX is not only a pivotal player in facilitating private space missions but is increasingly becoming a breeding ground for future astronauts. For decades, NASA predominantly recruited astronauts from military and academic circles, with little interaction from the commercial space sector. SpaceX’s emergence has significantly altered this paradigm, establishing it as a vital training ground for engineers and mission operators involved in human spaceflight.