On Monday, the space agency announced the 10 people chosen for its 2025 astronaut candidate class, selected from over 8,000 applicants across the U.S. That’s an acceptance rate of about 0.125%, making the odds far more daunting than Harvard’s 4% admission rate.
Unlike most students, NASA astronaut candidates earn generous government salaries during their training, and if they successfully complete the program and become full astronauts, their annual pay can reach $152,000. While lucrative compared to most graduate programs, it comes with unique challenges and without the prospective of overtime and hazard pay.
Among the 2025 class, members came from the military, private sector, medical residencies, and federal-science agencies.
NASA’s newest set of astronauts comes as many billionaire tech leaders become increasingly bullish on the prospects of space travel in the near future.
