NASA is preparing to announce the new 2025 astronaut class, along with details of the Artemis 2 mission, which will send four astronauts on a flight around the Moon. The candidate announcement ceremony will take place on September 22, with Artemis 2 briefings scheduled for September 23 and 24, according to Space.com.

New Astronaut Class

On September 22, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. EDT (16:30 GMT), NASA will livestream from the Johnson Space Center in Houston to reveal the new astronaut class. The event will be available on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, NASA’s YouTube channel, the agency’s X account, and on Space.com (if NASA’s stream is provided).

From 8,000 applications, NASA has selected a group of candidates who will undergo two years of training to become full-fledged astronauts. Afterward, they will be eligible to participate in future missions, including flights to the Moon and potentially Mars.

Artemis 2: Lunar Flyby Mission

Artemis 2 will be the first crewed flight of the Artemis program, aimed at returning humans to the Moon. Scheduled for no earlier than April 2026, the mission will send four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon. The crew includes:

  • Reid Wiseman (Commander, NASA)
  • Victor Glover (Pilot, NASA), the first Black astronaut to take part in a lunar mission
  • Christina Koch (Mission Specialist, NASA), the first woman in a lunar mission
  • Jeremy Hansen (Mission Specialist, Canadian Space Agency), the first non-American in such a flight

NASA has organized several briefings to discuss the mission:

  • September 23:
    • 11:00 a.m. EDT (15:00 GMT): Mission overview with Lakiesha Hawkins (NASA), Charlie Blackwell-Thompson (Artemis Launch Director), Judd Freiling, Jeff Radigan, Rick Henfling (Flight Directors), and Daniel Florez (Test Director).
    • 1:00 p.m. EDT (17:00 GMT): Science and technology briefing with Matt Ramsey (Mission Manager), Debbie Korth (Orion Program), Jacob Bleacher and Mark Clampin (NASA Science Directorate).
  • September 24:
    • 10:00 a.m. EDT (14:00 GMT): Crew press conference with Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen.

The briefings will be streamed on NASA’s YouTube channel, on X, and possibly on Space.com.

Importance of the Mission and Astronaut Class

The announcement of the new astronaut class marks an important step for NASA as it prepares personnel for future missions, including Artemis 3 (the lunar landing) and potential missions to Mars. Artemis 2, in turn, will test the Orion spacecraft and the SLS rocket in crewed mode, paving the way for a sustainable human presence on the Moon.

“Artemis 2 is a historic milestone that will not only return humanity to the Moon but will do so with unprecedented crew diversity,” notes Space.com.

In Brief…

NASA will announce its new astronaut class on September 22, 2025, in a live broadcast from Houston, and on September 23–24 will present details of the Artemis 2 mission, planned for April 2026. Four astronauts — including the first woman, the first Black astronaut, and the first non-American to take part in such a mission — will orbit the Moon, paving the way for future lunar exploration. The events will be streamed across multiple platforms, allowing millions to witness this historic moment.