Three people with strong Colorado connections were among nine men and women named by NASA as astronaut recruits today.
Serena M. Aunon, 33, a NASA flight surgeon, grew up in Fort Collins.
U.S. Air Force Major Jack D. Fischer, 35, a test pilot, was born in Boulder and graduated of the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs.
Kjell N. Lindgren, 36, also a NASA flight surgeon, holds degrees from the Air Force Academy, Colorado State University and the University of Colorado.
The six-man, three-woman class was chosen from more than 3,500 applications, according to the space agency.
The class, the first astronaut recruits in five years, will begin training at Johnson Space Center in Houston in August, according to NASA.
“This is a very talented and diverse group we’ve selected,” Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for Space Operations, said in a statement.
“They will join our current astronauts and play very important roles for NASA in the future. In addition to flying in space, astronauts participate in every aspect of human spaceflight, sharing their expertise with engineers and managers across the country.”
