NASA is accepting astronaut applications through Dec. 3 to support the Artemis program and Moon Base development, with final selection expected by late 2027.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
NASA is accepting applications for a new astronaut class that will help grow the Artemis program and support plans to build a permanent lunar base. Officials announced the news Saturday during a Kennedy Space Center air show promoting lunar exploration as well as advances in aviation and technology.
Aspiring astronauts have between now and Dec. 3 to submit their applications. NASA expects to make its final selection by late 2027, with the new candidates beginning their training by early 2028. NASA intends to return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028 after an absence of more than half a century.
With only 32 active astronauts, the space agency needs more recruits as it looks to expand humanity’s presence beyond low-Earth orbit. NASA’s last call for new astronauts was two years ago. More than 8,000 applied, with 10 making the final cut in September 2025.
“We have far more work than we have astronauts,” Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told The Associated Press on Saturday.
By then “we’re going to have people on the moon — so don’t delay,” Bresnik urged potential candidates.
Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. The two years of mandatory training can be grueling, and it could take another several years on top of that before finally rocketing into space.
“It’s important for them to realize most of that work is not going to the moon, right?” Artemis III’s Frank Rubio told the AP. “That will be about 1% of your experience. What you’re doing is contributing to the mission of going to the moon.”
Rubio’s 371 consecutive days in space is a U.S. endurance record.
This will be NASA’s 25th astronaut class since the original Mercury Seven in 1959.
NASA also announced awards and mission updates to expand Moon Base exploration, science, and infrastructure capabilities. The investments will advance commercial robotic deliveries, a nuclear-powered rover named PROMISE, launch and orbital transfer services, and surface infrastructure as the agency works with American industry to establish a sustained presence on the Moon’s South Pole.
“We are building the Moon Base mission by mission,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
NASA selected eight companies for the next phase of its CLPS initiative: Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, ispace-U.S., Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, SpaceX, and Voyager Technologies. The CLPS 2 framework is a 10-year, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity master contract with a combined maximum value of $10 billion.
NASA is targeting late 2028 to launch PROMISE and planning an 18-month mission for the rover. NASA awarded Blue Origin a $94 million base contract, with an option period worth an additional $140 million based on performance to deliver PROMISE to the lunar South Pole.
The new astronaut class will support NASA’s goal of establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon and building a foundation for the first crewed mission to Mars.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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