On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, amid an air show celebrating flight and discovery, NASA opened the door to a new generation of astronauts. Thirty-two active astronauts are now asked to carry work that outpaces their numbers, as the nation prepares to walk on the Moon again for the first time in more than half a century. Those who answer the call will spend years preparing for a landing that is still ahead, and a far-off base that will be built slowly, one machine and one structure at a time.
NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class to Build Artemis Lunar Program
"Going to the moon... will be about 1% of your experience."
Mark
Why is NASA recruiting again so soon? It only picked a class in September 2025.
Mimi
Numbers, mostly. There are just 32 active astronauts, and Randy Bresnik says there's far more work than people to do it.
Mark
And the last class was small compared with the pool.
Mimi
Ten selected from more than 8,000 applicants. So the competition is steep.
Luke
Worth noting that "far more work than astronauts" is Bresnik's characterization. The reporting doesn't give us a staffing analysis behind it.
Mark
Fair. What about the timeline?
Mimi
Applications close Dec. 3, selection by late 2027, training by early 2028, the year NASA intends to return astronauts to the surface.
Luke
"Intends" is the key word. That's a plan, not a confirmed date, and the article doesn't discuss what could shift it.
Mark
What does Frank Rubio add?
Mimi
A reality check. Two years of training, possibly several more before flying, and he says the moon itself is about 1% of the experience.
Luke
And that 1% is his own rough figure, not a measured statistic. It's a point about perspective, not data.
The Pulse
- Applications for the 25th astronaut class close on Dec. 3, and the clock is already running.
- With only 32 active astronauts, NASA says its workload has outgrown the people available to carry it.
- Artemis III's crew prepares for a summer launch to rehearse docking with two competing lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin.
- Final selections are due by late 2027, with training starting in early 2028 as astronauts aim to return to the lunar surface.
On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, amid an air show celebrating flight and discovery, NASA opened the door to a new generation of astronauts. Thirty-two active astronauts are now asked to carry work that outpaces their numbers, as the nation prepares to walk on the Moon again for the first time in more than half a century. Those who answer the call will spend years preparing for a landing that is still ahead, and a far-off base that will be built slowly, one machine and one structure at a time.
On Saturday, at an air show at Kennedy Space Center meant to celebrate lunar exploration alongside advances in aviation and technology, NASA announced it is looking for new astronauts. Applications are open now and close Dec. 3. The last call went out two years ago, when more than 8,000 people applied for 10 places. Today the agency has only 32 active astronauts, and it wants to push human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as fast as it can.
Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told The Associated Press that the agency has "far more work than we have astronauts." Selections are expected by late 2027, with training beginning in early 2028, the same year NASA hopes to land astronauts on the Moon again. "We're going to have people on the moon," Bresnik said, "so don't delay."
His crew launches next summer on a mission that stays near Earth, practicing docking with two lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. It serves as a rehearsal for Artemis IV, which will attempt a landing near the lunar south pole. The longer goal is a permanent base, assembled gradually as rovers, robots, structures and power grids reach the surface.
For those considering the job, Frank Rubio, who holds the U.S. endurance record at 371 consecutive days in space, offered a grounded warning. Patience matters. Candidates need U.S. citizenship, college degrees and professional experience, then face two years of demanding training before any flight. Rubio also reminded applicants that the Moon itself is only about 1 percent of the work; the rest is the daily labor of getting there.
On Saturday, at an air show at Kennedy Space Center meant to promote lunar exploration along with advances in aviation and technology, NASA officials announced that the agency is looking for new astronauts. Applications are open now and close Dec. 3.
The agency last put out a call two years ago. More than 8,000 people applied, and 10 made the final cut in September 2025. This time the need is plain: NASA has only 32 active astronauts, and it wants to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as it can. The Artemis II crew's lunar flyaround in April kicked off the lunar campaign.
Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik put it bluntly to The Associated Press on Saturday. "We have far more work than we have astronauts," he said. The timeline is tight. NASA expects to choose its final candidates by late 2027, and they would begin training by early 2028. That is the same year the agency intends to put astronauts back on the lunar surface, ending an absence of more than half a century. By then, Bresnik said, "we're going to have people on the moon — so don't delay."
Bresnik and his three crewmates are due to launch next summer. Their mission stays close to Earth, with no lunar flyby. They will practice docking their capsule with two lunar landers, one built by Elon Musk's SpaceX and the other by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. The flight serves as a dress rehearsal for Artemis IV the following year, which will attempt to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole.
The longer goal is a permanent lunar base. It is expected to take shape gradually as more rovers, robots, structures and power grids are launched to the moon.
For anyone thinking of applying, Artemis III's Frank Rubio offered a dose of realism. Rubio holds the U.S. endurance record, with 371 consecutive days in space. Patience, he noted, is essential. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. Selected candidates then face two years of mandatory training that can be grueling, and it may be several more years after that before they actually fly.
Rubio also tried to reset expectations about what the job involves. "It's important for them to realize most of that work is not going to the moon, right?" he told the AP. Going to the moon, he said, will be about 1% of an astronaut's experience. The rest is contributing to the mission of getting there.
This will be NASA's 25th astronaut class, counting from the original Mercury Seven in 1959. With applications closing Dec. 3 and selections due late next year, the people chosen will begin training just as the first landing attempts approach.
Notable Quotes
We have far more work than we have astronauts.— Randy Bresnik, Artemis III commander, to The Associated Press
Most of that work is not going to the moon; that will be about 1% of your experience.— Frank Rubio, Artemis III astronaut, to The Associated Press (paraphrased)
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