Watch NASA announce its new astronaut class and discuss the Artemis 2 moon mission this week

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There are events on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 22 to Sept. 24).

a bunch of astronauts in flight suits standing in front of a huge rocket and pointing at the sky
Astronauts and then-astronaut candidates from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency pose for a photograph in front of NASA's Artemis 1 Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher on the pad at Launch Complex 39B on Aug. 28, 2022. (Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett)

NASA will announce its new astronaut class and discuss its upcoming Artemis 2 moon mission this week, and you can watch the events live.

The action starts on Monday (Sept. 22), when the agency will unveil its 2025 astronaut class. These candidates, selected from a pool of 8,000 applicants, will undergo two years of training and then become eligible for missions to the International Space Station, the moon or Mars.

And speaking of the moon: NASA will hold online events on both Tuesday (Sept. 23) and Wednesday (Sept. 24) to discuss the Artemis 2 mission, which will launch four astronauts on a journey around the moon in early 2026, if all goes to plan.

You'll be able to watch all of it live here at Space.com courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency. Here's a brief rundown of the events:

Monday, Sept. 22

12:30 p.m EDT (1630 GMT): 2025 astronaut candidate selection ceremony

Tuesday, Sept. 23

10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT): Artemis 2 mission overview briefing.

Participants will be:

  • Lakiesha Hawkins, acting deputy associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
  • Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida
  • Judd Frieling, lead Artemis 2 ascent flight director, NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston
  • Jeff Radigan, lead Artemis 2 flight director, JSC
  • Rick Henfling, lead Artemis II entry flight director, JSC
  • Daniel Florez, test director, Exploration Ground Systems, KSC

12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT): Artemis 2 science and technology briefing, with the following participants:

  • Matt Ramsey, Artemis 2 mission manager, NASA Headquarters
  • Debbie Korth, deputy Orion Program manager, JSC
  • Jacob Bleacher, manager, Science, Technology Utilization, and Integration, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
  • Mark Clampin, acting deputy associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

Wednesday, Sept. 24

10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT): Artemis 2 crew news conference, featuring:

  • Reid Wiseman, commander (NASA)
  • Victor Glover, pilot (NASA)
  • Christina Koch, mission specialist (NASA)
  • Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist (Canadian Space Agency)

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Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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