On Monday, NASA unveiled its class of astronaut candidates for 2025, with a woman from North Texas among the ten selected.
38-year-old Rebecca Lawler is a native of Little Elm. She is a former lieutenant commander in the United States Navy, as well as a former P-3 pilot and experimental test pilot.
Lawler holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the United States Naval Academy and master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the National Test Pilot School. She is also a graduate of the US Naval Test Pilot School.
Lawler has previously flown as a hurricane hunter for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and in support of NASA’s Operation IceBridge. She was a United Airlines test pilot at the time of selection.
More than 8,000 persons applied for the candidate program, and only ten were accepted.
The applicants will go through roughly two years of training before being available for flight assignments supporting future science and exploration missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
“I’m honored to welcome the next generation of American explorers to our agency,” stated Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy.
“Over 8,000 people applied, including scientists, pilots, engineers, and dreamers from all throughout the country.
The ten men and women seated here today reflect the truth that in America, regardless of where you begin, there is no limit to what a motivated dreamer may do, including going to space,” remarked Duffy. “Together, we’ll unlock the Golden Age of exploration.”
