Nine new astronauts, and not a loser in the bunch

NASA’s newly named Astronaut Class of 2009 had better be a patient lot, because they probably won’t reach orbit anytime soon. But they can look forward to walking on the moon if and when we return there sometime in the 2020s. And even if we don’t, it must be pretty satisfying to be one of only nine…

NASA's newly named Astronaut Class of 2009 had better be a patient lot, because they probably won't reach orbit anytime soon. But they can look forward to walking on the moon if and when we return there sometime in the 2020s. And even if we don't, it must be pretty satisfying to be one of only nine people chosen from 3500 applicants.

As usual, the new astronaut candidates have ridiculous resumes. Take 30-year-old Kate Rubins, for example. She ran triathlons at Stanford. She's a pilot, a skydiver, a humanitarian, and a good writer. Oh, and she has her own laboratory at MIT. Not bad, considering that she was only two when the space shuttle started launching.

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