Yuri Kubo

Yuri Kubo is an American electrical engineer, former SpaceX launch director, former engineering executive, and NASA astronaut candidate. He was selected by NASA in 2025 as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 24, the agency's 24th astronaut candidate class. At the time of his selection, Kubo was senior vice president of engineering at Electric Hydrogen.

Early life and education Kubo was born and raised in Columbus, Indiana.

Engineering career Earlier in his career, Kubo was a co-op student and intern at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he completed multiple tours supporting the Orion spacecraft, the International Space Station in mission control, and the Space Shuttle program. He reported for duty at Johnson Space Center in September 2025 to begin approximately two years of initial astronaut training before becoming eligible for flight assignments. During early training, the class studied International Space Station systems, orbital mechanics, flight operations, survival training, spacewalk training at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, and flight training in NASA T-38 aircraft. His other honors include an Astronaut Scholarship Foundation award, the Charles C. Chappelle Fellowship, graduation with distinction from Purdue University, Purdue Electrical and Computer Engineering Outstanding Senior Awards, the SSACI Higher Education Award Honors, the Electrical Engineering General Scholarship, the Purdue University Academic Success Award, the Resident Top Scholar Award, the Albert Hubbard Melin Scholarship, and the Eta Kappa Nu Beta Chapter Scholarship.

Personal life Kubo is married and has two children. He played professional ultimate for the Indianapolis AlleyCats and has described sports, outdoor activities, and piano as personal interests.