NASA selects two Astronauts as Commander and Pilot for 2023 SpaceX Crew-6 mission

NASA, on Friday, December 17, announced the selection of two astronauts as the first crew members of its SpaceX Crew-6 mission which has been planned for 2023. The selected astronauts are Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg who will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the mission. The launch will be NASA’s sixth crew rotation flight to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft that will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

Meet the Astronauts of NASA-SpaceX Crew-6

Stephen Bowen, who has been selected as the spacecraft commander was born in Cohasset, Massachusetts and holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. A former student of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, he also owns a Master's degree in ocean engineering and was the first submarine officer selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2000. That said, Bowen is not a rookie as it will be his fourth trip into space. Prior to his forthcoming flight, he served as a member of three space shuttle missions in 2008, 2010 and 2011 respectively. In addition to this, he has clocked in 40 days in space, including 47 hours, 18 minutes during seven spacewalks. 

The second crew member Woody Hoburg hails from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and will be preparing for his first-ever space trip. Selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2017, Hoburg bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT and a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California. According to NASA, Hoburg, who is also a commercial pilot, was an assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT when he was selected by the agency as an astronaut. During his time at MIT, he was working on research that focused on efficient methods for the design of engineering systems. Following the selection of the duo, NASA informed that additional crew members will be selected as mission specialists in the future. 

"For more than 21 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth", NASA said in its statement. Interestingly, the space station has hosted 244 people from 19 countries who have conducted over 3,000 research and educational investigations. 

Image: NASA