(NASA)
澤娜·卡德曼(Zena Cardman)曾在南極洲(Antarctica)從事細菌試驗，在夏威夷(Hawaii)毛納烏盧(Mauna Ulu)火山的貧瘠平原上研究生物。現在，作為美國國家航空航天局(NASA)的候選太空人，她在偏遠地區尋找生命跡象的經歷可能有助於她參加飛往火星的任務。
29歲的卡德曼在NASA創紀錄的18,000名申請人中名類前茅，成為美國下一代太空人的12名候選人之一。
這12位候選人都擁有科學、技術、工程或數學領域的高等學位，現在再次成為學生。他們將接受為期兩年的訓練，在一臺T-38的超音速噴氣式教練機內學習機器人技術、太空漫步和飛行。他們還將學習俄語，以便能夠與國際空間站(International Space Station)的俄羅斯同行合作。一旦完成培訓，他們將從候選人正式轉為太空人。
卡德曼在接受北卡羅來納大學教堂山大學(University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)新聞社採訪時說：「我們必須像海綿一樣。」她在該校獲得了兩個學位。
她和其他4名女性候選人和7名男性候選人有可能前往國際空間站執行任務，或者參加探索月球或火星的任務。
在維吉尼亞州威廉斯堡(Williamsburg, Virginia)長大的卡德曼說：「有很多東西需要學習，互相學習，向詹森航天中心(Johnson Space Center)的所有專家學習，向國際合作者和全國各地的中心學習。」
除了她在科學領域接受訓練的經歷之外，卡德曼還協助創辦了一本探索科學與藝術交叉領域的雜誌。她現在仍然堅持寫詩，並在後院養雞。
下面介紹幾位在NASA有史以來競爭最激烈的太空人選拔中脫穎而出的候選人：
(NASA)拉賈·查裡(Raja Chari)39歲
美國海軍(U.S.Navy)試飛員
來自愛荷華州雪松瀑布( Cedar Falls, Iowa)
獲麻省理工學院（Massachusetts Institute of Technology）航空與航天碩士學位。
查裡試飛過幾乎每一種現代美國戰鬥機，駕駛F-35、F-15、F-16和F-18飛行超過2,000小時。
(NASA)傑西卡·沃特金斯(Jessica Watkins)29 歲
NASA研究員
來自科羅拉多州拉斐特(Lafayette, Colorado)
利用NASA的好奇號火星探測車(Curiosity Mars Rover)研究這個紅色星球(Red Planet)
鼓勵對科學感興趣的女孩尋找一名導師，無論是老師、教授還是主管。 「這對我來說起到了非常重要的作用。」
(NASA)羅布·庫林(Robb Kulin)33 歲
來自阿拉斯加州安克雷奇(Anchorage, Alaska)
在南極洲鑽過冰，在阿拉斯加州從事商業捕撈。
曾作為富布萊特(Fulbright)學者在義大利學習。
曾在民營航天公司SpaceX領導發射小組。
熱愛他線條粗獷的家鄉。庫林在接受The Verge採訪時說「我認為是冒險和探索的精神讓我對太空產生了興趣。」
Zena Cardman has hunted bacteria in Antarctica. Studied life on the barren plains of Hawaii’s Mauna Ulu volcano. And now, her quest for life in remote places may take her to Mars, thanks to NASA.
(NASA)Cardman, 29, was one of a dozen people selected by the U.S. space agency from a record-breaking 18,000 applicants to become one of America’s next astronauts.
The 12 — all with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics — now become students again. During two years of training, they will learn about robotics, spacewalking and flight in a supersonic jet trainer called the T-38. They will also study the Russian language so that they will be able to work with their Russian counterparts on the International Space Station. Once they complete their training, they will move from being 「candidates」 to officially becoming astronauts.
「We have to be sponges,」 Cardman said in an interview with the news service of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned two degrees.
She along with four other women and seven men are likely to undertake missions to the International Space Station or venture to the moon or Mars.
「There’s a lot to learn — from each other, from all of the specialists at Johnson Space Center, from international collaborators and centers from all over the country,」 said Cardman, who grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia.
In addition to her scientific training, Cardman helped start a magazine exploring intersections of science and art. She still writes poetry and raises chickens in her backyard.
Meet a few others who made the cut for NASA’s most competitive astronaut selection ever:
(NASA)Raja Chari39 years old
U.S. Navy test pilot
From Cedar Falls, Iowa
Master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Chari has flown just about every modern U.S. fighter jet, logging more than 2,000 hours in the F-35, F-15, F-16, and F-18.
(NASA)Jessica Watkins29 years old
NASA researcher
From Lafayette, Colorado
Studies the Red Planet with NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover
Encourages girls who are interested in science to reach out to a mentor, whether it’s a teacher, professor or supervisor. 「That’s been something that’s been really important for me.」
(NASA)Robb Kulin33 years old
From Anchorage, Alaska
Drilled ice in Antarctica and worked as a commercial fisherman in Alaska
Studied in Italy as a Fulbright fellow
Led launch teams at private space company SpaceX
Loves his rugged home state. 「I think that whole spirit for adventure and exploration is what kind of got me interested in space in the first place,」 Kulin said in an interview with The Verge.