NASA's Astronaut Group 16 was announced by NASA on 1 May 1996. The class was nicknamed "The Sardines" for being such a large class, humorously implying that their training sessions would be as tightly packed as sardines in a can. These 44 candidates were in fact the largest astronaut class ever. NASA selected so many candidates in preparation for the anticipated need for ISS crew members, along with regular shuttle needs.