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Astronaut Ed White floats in the microgravity of space outside the Gemini IV spacecraft.

NASA Astronaut Candidate Ben Bailey

NASA Astronaut Candidate

Contents

Ben Bailey, ​Chief ​Warrant Officer​ 3​, U.S. Army 

Summary

Ben Bailey was selected by NASA to join the 2025 astronaut candidate class. He reported for duty in September 2025. Bailey is a chief warrant officer in the United States Army and an experienced ​Army​ test pilot. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia. He is continuing his education by pursuing a master’s degree in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Bailey is a U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate. At the time of his selection, Bailey was responsible for the developmental testing of emerging technologies aboard Army rotary wing ​aircraft​, specializing in UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook testing. 

Personal

Bailey was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. He enjoys outdoor activities such as sailing, ​skiing, ​rock climbing, and backpacking with his wife, Dylan. 

Education

Bailey graduated from The Covenant School in Charlottesville, Virginia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia in 2009. He attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, graduating in 2022. At the time of his selection, Bailey was working on a master’s degree in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and will continue his studies through graduation. 

Experience

Bailey is a U.S. Army warrant officer and experienced Army aviator. From 2022 to the time of his selection, he served as an experimental test pilot, specializing in developmental testing of emerging technologies aboard UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopters. From 2016 to 2022, ​h​e served as a UH-60M Black Hawk pilot at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, where he deployed in support of overseas operations. He also is an instructor pilot responsible for training and evaluating unit pilots. He has accumulated more than 2,000 flight hours in more than 30 different rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. Before joining the Army, Bailey was a nuclear engineer responsible for constructing aircraft carrier propulsion plants. 

NASA Experience

Bailey reported for duty in September 2025 to complete two years of initial astronaut training.