Unfortunately, it's not a member of the DRB. But a Reston resident is among the nine astronaut candidates selected by NASA for its first class of astronauts in five years.
Jack D. Fischer, 35, of Reston, is a major in the U.S. Air Force. The test pilot is currently a U.S. Air Force Strategic Policy intern at the Pentagon. He'll be part of the first astronaut corps to never fly in the space shuttle, which is scheduled to be retired next year.
The 2009 astronaut class is a relatively young group, with ages ranging from 30 to 43. NASA selected the nine from a field of 3,500 applicants to make up the new class, its 20th group since the original seven Mercury astronauts were unveiled in 1959.In a Q&A, Fischer talks about how it felt to be selected:
Complete disbelief. It was a dream come true -- the chance to be a part of our space program. After the call, my wife and girls ran over, and we did a huge family hug while screaming and jumping up and down, and our confused beagle ran circles around us barking. We were all VERY excited!Congrats. And who knows? Maybe someday one of the "good" Reston schools will be named after him.
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