NASA's astronaut selection process is exceptionally rigorous, employing psychological tests, team simulations, and deliberate challenges to assess candidates' adaptability, communication, and resilience under pressure, ultimately selecting 10 from over 12,000 applicants in 2021.
NASA's selection of four male astronauts for the Artemis III mission, which will test lunar landers in Earth orbit, has drawn criticism on social media for excluding women. Critics called the decision "shameful" and discriminatory, while NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman defended the all-male crew as a necessary step for the 2028 lunar landing mission.
Hong Kong's first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, overcame motion sickness and other challenges to be selected for China's Shenzhou-23 mission. The 43-year-old mother of three credits sheer willpower for persevering through gruelling training.
