Godspeed, Robb Kulin: For first time since Apollo, astronaut candidate leaves training

News Brief: NASA says Alaskan astronaut candidate Robb Kulin is leaving his training program at the end of this month, one year after his selection for the Class of 2017. NASA spokeswoman Brandi Dean confirmed that Kulin was resigning for personal reasons, marking the first time since 1968 that an astronaut candidate has left the program before qualifying for spaceflight. Kulin, 35, worked as an ice driller in Antarctica, a commercial fisherman in Alaska and an engineer at SpaceX before his selection for the astronaut corps. His place in the 12-member Class of 2017 will not be filled, according to reports from the Houston Chronicle and Ars Technica.