Announcing SEA’s 2026 Astronaut Crew

Written By Wendy Morara

Over this week, Southeast Analog is thrilled to reveal the six students selected for our 2026 pilot mission, scheduled for August 2026. These students were chosen for their skills, teamwork, and dedication to analog space exploration.

Here’s the selected crew and their positions:

  • Sophia Karako – Crew Commander & Chief Communications Officer

  • Amanda Galloway – Crew Commander & Chief Communications Officer

  • Emilio Larrazabal – Crew Medical Officer

  • Hailey Nelson – Crew Scientist

  • Ariella Blackman – Crew Engineer

  • Umesh Krishna Ponugupati – Crew Engineer

The crew will now begin pre-mission training and preparations, including simulations, habitat exercises, and mission operations leading up to the August pilot mission.

We’re also proud of the other four finalists, who brought outstanding effort and made this selection a truly competitive process.

For full bios and more details on our astronaut crew, check out our SEA LinkedIn page to see their individual announcements.

Wendy Morara
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