These New Astronauts May Be Among The First Humans To Walk On Mars
The eight potential space travelers includes four men and four women, ranging in age from 34 to 39. The first new class of astronauts to be selected since 2009 will join 49 already active astronauts. The recruiting process started in November 2011, and NASA recieved a record 6,100 applications for the spots.
They will get a ton of training at NASA facilities and prepare for possible missions to low-Earth orbit, an asteroid, or even to Mars. Their training starts in August. After Commander Chris Hadfield's retirement after his stint on the International Space Station, we hope it will include social media training.
It will probably be another two to four years before NASA culls another group.