NASA's 2013 Astronaut Class Attends White House STEM Event

NASA's 2013 astronaut candidate class joined the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, John P. Holdren, and more than 100 students from Washington area schools for the annual White House State of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (SoSTEM) address on Jan. 29. This event celebrates President Obama's commitment to lifting America's game in STEM education as articulated in past State of the Union addresses and was held the day after this year's address. Included in the event was a panel moderated by NASA astronaut Joe Acaba and a video from the crew aboard the International Space Station. NASA's 2013 astronaut candidates are: Josh A. Cassada and Victor J. Glover, lieutenant commanders in the U.S. Navy; Tyler N. "Nick" Hague, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force; Christina M. Hammock, who holds a Master of Science in electrical engineering; Nicole Aunapu Mann, a major in the U.S. Marine Corps; Anne C. McClain a major in the U.S. Army; Jessica U. Meir, who holds a Ph.D. in marine biology and Andrew R. Morgan a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. The candidate are in a two-year training process, which includes technical activities at space centers and remote locations around the globe. The training is designed to prepare them for missions that will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system, including an asteroid and Mars.