NASA has selected University of Virginia Class of 2009 graduate Ben Bailey as a member of the 2025 astronaut candidate class.
Bailey, who was born and raised in Charlottesville, is among 10 men and women introduced Monday at a ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“I’m honored to welcome the next generation of American explorers to our agency. More than 8,000 people applied — scientists, pilots, engineers, dreamers from every corner of this nation,” acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said. “The 10 men and women sitting here today embody the truth that in America, regardless of where you start, there is no limit to what a determined dreamer can achieve — even going to space. Together, we’ll unlock the Golden Age of exploration.”
Bailey, 38, is a chief warrant officer 3 in the U.S. Army. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science and is completing his master’s in systems engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and has more than 2,000 flight hours in more than 30 different rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. When he was selected for the NASA class, Bailey was responsible for the developmental testing of emerging technologies aboard Army rotary wing aircraft, specializing in the UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopters.
“Everyone at UVA Engineering is proud to support Ben as he pursues his dream of space flight,” UVA Engineering and Applied Science school Dean Jennifer L. West said. “I’m confident that Ben’s degree will provide the strong foundation a NASA astronaut candidate needs and that our alumni community, including astronauts like Kathryn Thornton and Leland Melvin, can provide guidance and inspiration as he pursues this path.”
At Monday’s event, Bailey told the audience he was honored to be selected as an “ASCAN,” an abbreviation of “astronaut candidate.”
“The next two years of ASCAN training are exciting. Language training, flight training, spacewalk training, robotics, all of that,” he said. “More than that, I’m really excited that the next two years will be spent with the other nine here on stage with me. I’m really excited to see everyone’s strengths as we tackle those challenges together.”
Once his training is completed, Bailey will be eligible for flight assignments supporting upcoming science and exploration missions to low Earth orbit, the moon and Mars.