Katherine Spies, a USC Viterbi School of Engineering alumna, was selected for NASA’s 2025 astronaut candidate class on Sept. 22.
Spies, 43, is one of 10 candidates selected for the program, which received over 8,000 applicants. Spies graduated from Viterbi in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.
“We are incredibly proud of Viterbi alumna Katherine Spies for being selected as one of NASA’s astronaut candidates,” Andrea Hodge, Chair of the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at Viterbi said in a statement to Annenberg Media. “Her achievement exemplifies the spirit of innovation, dedication, and excellence that defines all our students. Katherine’s journey from USC to the forefront of space exploration inspires our entire community and underscores the impact Viterbi has on the world and beyond.”
Chelsea Appleget, a former PhD student at Viterbi, was also among the finalists but was not selected for candidacy. This marks two Viterbi alumnae in the final interview selection.
“We’ve had a lot of people go on to be really successful in the space industry, but they’ve mostly been men. So it’s really inspiring to see that the field is growing so much and that these opportunities for women are really starting to pop up,” said Elizabeth Blilie, a junior majoring in astronautical engineering and a member of the USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory.
USC has sent 12 astronauts to space. So far, only one of them has been a woman. Nancy J. Currie has been on several space missions since graduating from USC with a master of science in safety engineering in 1985.
According to a report from the Associated Press, NASA has made history with its 24th class, as this group of candidates marks the first to include more women than men, with a ratio of six to four. NASA reported that the addition of these 10 candidates brings NASA’s total recruitment to 370 since the initial selection of the Mercury Seven in 1959.
“I think that the narrative is starting to change in our industry, which is good and definitely will result in more job opportunities for female students,” said Sana Hamid, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.
According to NASA, the two-year training and evaluation period will provide the candidates with the knowledge and skills for formal mission training if selected for a flight. Training includes a variety of fields including robotics, water and land survival, geology, foreign language and more.
Additionally, candidates will participate in space walk simulations and high-performance jet flights. This training will allow Spies and her fellow candidates to be selected for missions involving lower Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars.
“I feel like that’s a really big motivator for a lot of people in Viterbi, and just at USC in general, to see that someone from here can do something like that,” said Paulina Sanchez, a freshman civil engineering major.
In an interview with ABC News San Diego, Spies expressed her excitement and eagerness to begin training with NASA. As a San Diego native, she attributes her motivation and success to the time spent in her hometown.
“Growing up in Southern California, you just have amazing exposure to the aerospace industry. I couldn’t have done it without my time in San Diego and my time at Camp Pendleton. It was really critical for moving into this role at NASA,” said Spies.
Spies served in the Marine Corps in 2004 as a second lieutenant. After completing flight training in Pensacola, Florida, she earned her Naval Aviator Wings in 2006. Spies began her operational career in Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 at Camp Pendleton, California.
“It’s an incredible time to be joining NASA with all that is happening in the work to get us back to the moon and potentially far beyond that to Mars,” Spies said. “There’s just so much energy there and it’s just so easy to be excited about. To be starting at this point in NASA’s history is a real honor.”