SEATTLE — A woman with Western Washington roots was chosen by NASA to join the next astronaut candidate class.
Lauren Edgar, 40, is an experienced geologist who considers Sammamish her home and went to Skyline High School. She’s one of 10 candidates picked for the 2025 class.
“They will take classes in geology, land and water survival and space health. They will even get to train in our high-performance jets,” NASA’s Johnson Space Center Deputy Director Stephen Koerner stated at the announcement in Houston on Sept. 22. “That will help NASA push the boundaries of space exploration, travel to new destinations in the Solar System and inspire the world through discovery.”
Edgar has a doctorate and master’s degree in geology from the California Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Earth sciences from Dartmouth College with more than 17 years experience of mission operations. She most recently served as the deputy principal investigator for the Artemis III Geology Team, according to her candidate profile.
“I participated in a number of NASA programs throughout grad school and college. Most recently I’ve been working at the U.S. Geological Survey and hoping to contribute to the exploration of the moon and Mars,” Edgar said while introducing herself in Houston. “I am so excited to officially be part of the NASA family and can’t wait to be serving in this role along with all of my new classmates here.”
NASA has selected 370 astronaut candidates since 1959. Edgar is one of 61 women to be chosen.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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