NASA Astronaut Candidate Yuri Kubo

Yuri Kubo

Summary

Yuri Kubo was selected by NASA to join the 2025 astronaut candidate class. He reported for duty in September 2025. A native of Columbus, Indiana, he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. After graduation, he spent 12 years working across various teams at SpaceX, including serving as launch director for Falcon 9 rocket launches, director of avionics for the Starshield program, and director of Ground Segment, which owned and operated antennas to communicate with Falcon 9, Dragon spacecraft, Starship, and Starlink satellites. At the time of his selection, Kubo was a senior vice president at Electric Hydrogen.  

Personal

Kubo was born and raised in Columbus, Indiana. He played professional Ultimate Frisbee for the Indianapolis AlleyCats. He enjoys sports and outdoor activities of all kinds, playing piano, and spending time with his family. He is married with two children. 

Education

Kubo graduated from the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities in 2004. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2008 and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in 2015, both from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. 

Experience

After graduating from Purdue University, he worked at SpaceX across several teams. He started as a launch engineer working at what is now Vandenberg Space Force Base, where he was responsible for the design, build, commissioning, and operations of the data, controls, and low voltage electrical infrastructure for the entire launch site, landing pad, hangar, transport systems, and payload processing facility supporting the Falcon 9 rocket. In this role, he developed a backup safing system that helped SpaceX meet human spaceflight requirements. He also worked as a ground controller, automation lead, launch conductor, and launch director for Falcon 9 launches out of Vandenberg, working in the control room for each launch. He then joined the Starshield team at SpaceX, becoming the director of avionics, where he oversaw the teams that designed, built, launched, and operated the first several generations of Starshield satellites. He ended his tenure at SpaceX as the director of Ground Segment, which owns and operates all SpaceX communication antennas and coordinated with third-party antennas used to communicate with the Dragon spacecraft, Falcon 9 and Starship rockets, and backup communications to Starlink satellites. He also was responsible for overhauling the ground antenna architecture, which enabled more automation and more launch throughput, including the possibility of simultaneous launches.  

At the time of selection, he was the senior vice president of Engineering at Electric Hydrogen, a company that designs and manufactures electrolyzers. In this role, Kubo oversaw nearly half of the company, including plant design teams, test, power systems, electrical design, controls, software, compliance, IT, facilities, environmental health and safety, integration, service, and control room operations, working on hydrogen production solutions to various industries around the world. 

NASA Experience

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

Earlier in his career, Kubo was a co-op student, interning at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. He completed multiple tours, including supporting the Orion spacecraft, the International Space Station in mission control, and the Space Shuttle Program.  

Awards/Honors

Purdue University “38 by 38” award recipient, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Award Recipient, Charles C. Chappelle Fellowship Recipient, Purdue University Graduate with distinction, Purdue ECE Outstanding Senior Awards, SSACI Higher Education Award Honors, Electrical Engineering General Scholarship, Purdue University Academic Success Award, Resident Top Scholar Award, Albert Hubbard Melin Scholarship, Eta Kappa Nu Beta Chapter Scholarship 

Organizations

Mensa