New Class of NASA Astronauts Takes Center Stage in First Media Appearance

NASA's newest class of astronauts made their first media appearance on Tuesday, a moment many of them used to express thanks to those they felt played a significant role in helping them reach this point in their lives, as well as speaking to those of a younger generation who may be considering a similar path.

"None of us would be sitting here without the mentors we had growing up," Anne McClain, a major in the US Army, said.

For Andrew Morgan, also a major in the US Army, the journey to becoming an astronaut started when he was in fourth grade, living in San Antonio, Texas.

"We had to write about famous Texans," he said. "I wrote to Apollo astronaut Alan Bean, and I actually received a letter back from him. I was convinced that was my acceptance as an astronaut candidate."

In the case of Victor Glover, a lieutenant commander in the US Navy, the moment came in fifth grade when a science teacher told him he would make a good engineer.

"It's all because of that day when Mr. Hargrove told me that and had a belief in me," he said.

Also included in the group are Josh Cassada, a lieutenant commander in the US Navy; Tyler "Nick" Hague, a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force; Christina Hammock, NOAA's American Samoa station chief; Nicole Aunapu Mann, a major in the US Marine Corps; and Jessica Meir, an assistant professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School.

Chosen from 6,100 applicants, the group has already begun their two year training which will focus, according to a NASA press release, on preparing them "for missions that will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system."

The first phase is focused on the International Space Station so as to offer each member of the new class a better understanding of its onboard operations, said Bob Behnken, NASA chief astronaut. Furthemore, all eight will receive T-38 training "and will get some aviation background under their belt."

Finally, Behnken explained, the astronauts-in-training will be given the chance to visit NASA centers throughout the country in order to better "understand all the things that go into what makes NASA what it is."

In regards to advice he would give others considering their future careers and dreams, Hague said, "Set a goal and figure out the steps you need to get there. Keep working hard and don't take no for an answer."