Volusia County native training to become astronaut

From the class of 1997 at Deltona High School to NASA’s new astronaut class of 2021, 42-year-old Luke Delaney went from DeBary’s star student to soon-to-be traveler of the stars.

Volusia County native training to become astronaut

NASA on Monday announced the 10 new astronauts, half of them military pilots, as it looks ahead to the moon and Mars. Luke Delaney, 42, who grew up in Volusia County, holds degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering and was a distinguished naval aviator.

New astronaut grew up in Central Florida

For the first time in four years, NASA is training a new class of astronauts and one of them grew up in Central Florida . Luke Delaney, 42, from DeBary, is a retired Marine Corps major and most recently served as a research pilot for NASA. Delaney says he was surprised to hear that he was accepted as a candidate and explained that he had to first ask his wife before he made the decision.

NASA's DART mission could help make our planet safer

NASA and several partners are exploring how to prevent an asteroid from slamming into the earth. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test, known as DART, will travel for nearly a year to reach the asteroid and attempt to knock it off course.