Hiking, finding cool rocks and working together as a team: even astronauts go to summer camp. And it turns out that it's actually critical for their preparation for space.
What is it?
This photo might look like a goofy snapshot of some summer-camp counselors. But it's actually NASA's 2025 astronaut candidate class in the midst of important outdoor training.
The group of 10 set out to explore the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico this past May, as part of a geology training expedition. And they're proud of the rocks they collected, as you can tell from their beaming smiles.
This geological adventure is part of an extensive and intense two-year training program that the candidates are undergoing as part of their preparation to become astronauts. The group is now about halfway through their program. For the geological potion of their training, the astronaut candidates go through classroom instruction, field training, scientific observations, sampling, navigation, teamwork and more.
Why is it incredible?
Astronaut candidates in training have to be ready for all of the expected and unexpected challenges ahead, whether they're destined for the International Space Station, the moon or beyond.
In addition to extensive geological training that will prepare them to collect and study moon rocks, astronaut candidates undergo flight training aboard high-altitude airplanes and supersonic jets, altitude chamber sessions, water survival training and more. And this isn't new. Astronauts headed for space have been going to the extreme here on Earth to prepare since the earliest days of NASA's astronaut program.
