Core Points - NASA introduced a new selection of 10 astronauts from over 8,000 applicants, marking the first time the number of women selected (6) exceeds that of men (4) [2] - This selection could potentially lead to these astronauts being among the first Americans to land on Mars [2] - The new astronauts will undergo two years of training before they can qualify for missions [2] Group 1 - The new astronaut selection is the 24th since 1959, with the previous selection occurring in 2021 [2] - A total of 370 individuals have passed NASA's astronaut selection process to date, including 41 active astronauts [2] - The selection process is described as rigorous, with officials noting that selected candidates are rare [2] Group 2 - The new astronauts include a geologist who participated in NASA's Curiosity Mars rover project, an engineer from SpaceX, and several military pilots [2] - Adam Fuhrman, an Air Force major, received the call about his selection during rush hour and had to pull over to confirm the news [2] - Anna Menon, a SpaceX engineer, became the first person to go to space before being selected as a NASA astronaut, having flown on the Crew Dragon spacecraft [2] - Menon's husband, Anil, was part of the previous astronaut selection and has experience in space projects as a doctor [2]