Columbus, IN – On Monday, September 22, it was announced that Yuri Kubo was chosen by NASA to join the astronaut candidate class of 2025. He reported for duty in September 2025. According to a press release from NASA, “The class will undergo nearly two years of training before becoming eligible for flight assignments that support future science and exploration missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.”

Kubo was born and raised in Columbus, Indiana. He attended Parkside Elementary School and Columbus North High School before graduating from the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities in 2004. He holds both a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University.

Following his graduation from Purdue, Kubo began his career at SpaceX, where he dedicated 12 years to various teams. His roles included launch director for Falcon 9 rocket launches, director of avionics for the Starshield program, and director of Ground Segment. Earlier in his career, Kubo was a co-op student at NASA Johnson, where he completed multiple rotations supporting the Orion spacecraft, the International Space Station, and the Space Shuttle Program. At the time of his selection, Kubo served as the senior vice president of Engineering at Electric Hydrogen.

“I want to offer congratulations to Yuri Kubo for this honor and accomplishment,” stated Mayor Mary Ferdon. “We’re very proud of all he has achieved, and being named to the 2025 Class of Astronaut candidates is a wonderful opportunity for him. For many kids growing up, becoming an astronaut is a dream – now he’s making it happen. Good luck to him for the next phase in his life and we hope to see him on Mars in the near future.”