Florida Native Luke Delaney Joins NASA Astronaut Ranks

Houston, Texas — Luke Delaney, a Florida native, officially became one of NASA’s newest astronauts on Tuesday. The graduation ceremony took place at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where Delaney and nine other U.S. candidates, along with two UAE candidates, completed their training.

After more than two years of intensive training, Delaney, who grew up in Central Florida watching shuttle launches, fulfilled his dream of becoming an astronaut. Overcoming the challenge of not knowing the path to becoming an astronaut, he pursued degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, served as a naval aviator, and worked as a research pilot at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

Delaney applied to the NASA Astronaut training program twice, with success coming in the 2021 class selection. He encourages aspiring astronauts not to fear failure, emphasizing the importance of resilience and moving forward after setbacks.

During their training, Delaney and his classmates studied space station systems, flew jets, and underwent water survival and wilderness training. The diverse experiences included wilderness training in the mountains of Wyoming, covering 30 miles over 10 days.

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Now officially titled an astronaut, Delaney faces the challenge of deciding his dream mission amid the bustling developments in the space industry. With low Earth orbit becoming more active and commercial entities exploring space, he acknowledges the excitement of lunar missions.

As NASA opens applications for a new class, aspiring astronauts have until April 2nd to apply, with details and qualifications available on NASA.GOV.