A small number of people will soon be chosen to carry forward a nation's oldest ambition beyond the edge of Earth's shelter, at a moment when the road back to the moon has finally come within sight. NASA has opened its doors to a new class of astronauts, to serve a lunar program that has already begun and a base that may one day stand on the surface itself. The work is slow and largely unseen, measured in years of training and in tasks most people will never witness, yet it is the patient labor by which humanity rejoins a destination it last reached more than half a century ago.
NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class to Build Artemis Lunar Program
"We have far more work than we have astronauts."
Mark
Why does NASA need new astronauts now? It just picked a class a year ago.
Mimi
The numbers explain it. Only 32 astronauts are active, and Bresnik says there is far more work than people to do it.
Mark
And the timeline is tight.
Mimi
Applications close Dec. 3, selection comes by late 2027, training starts by early 2028. That is the same year NASA intends to land astronauts on the moon.
Luke
But those new recruits won't be the ones landing in 2028, will they?
Mimi
Almost certainly not. Training alone takes two years, and flying can take several years beyond that.
Mark
So what are they actually recruited for?
Mimi
Rubio put it bluntly: going to the moon is about 1% of the experience. The rest is contributing to the mission.
Luke
Worth noting that's one astronaut's characterization, not an agency figure.
Mark
What about the lunar base itself?
Mimi
The source says it will materialize as rovers, robots, structures and power grids are launched. No dates or specifics are given.
Luke
Right, and the landing schedule depends on tests like Artemis III's docking rehearsal with the SpaceX and Blue Origin landers. The reporting doesn't say what happens if that slips.
Il Polso
- With only 32 active astronauts and a lunar schedule that is already moving, NASA is racing to add people faster than its ranks can keep up.
- More than 8,000 applicants answered the last call, yet the new window closes on December 3, leaving little time to sift a flood of hopefuls.
- Artemis III must rehearse docking with two competing commercial landers next summer before Artemis IV attempts a landing near the lunar south pole in 2028.
- Selection by late 2027 will be followed by two grueling years of training, so the crews who reach the moon will be shaped by a long and demanding wait.
A small number of people will soon be chosen to carry forward a nation's oldest ambition beyond the edge of Earth's shelter, at a moment when the road back to the moon has finally come within sight. NASA has opened its doors to a new class of astronauts, to serve a lunar program that has already begun and a base that may one day stand on the surface itself. The work is slow and largely unseen, measured in years of training and in tasks most people will never witness, yet it is the patient labor by which humanity rejoins a destination it last reached more than half a century ago.
On Saturday, at an air show at Kennedy Space Center that paired lunar exploration with advances in aviation, NASA announced it is searching for new astronauts. The recruits will help grow the Artemis program and, eventually, a permanent base on the moon.
The last call drew more than 8,000 applicants, and ten were chosen in September 2025. This round is open until December 3, with final selection expected by late 2027 and training beginning in early 2028, the same year NASA hopes to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than fifty years. The agency has only 32 active astronauts, and officials say they have far more work than people to do it. Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik urged candidates not to hesitate.
Artemis III will launch next summer to practice docking with two lunar landers, one from SpaceX and one from Blue Origin, staying close to Earth as a rehearsal. The following year, Artemis IV will try to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole, and a base will slowly take shape afterward.
Candidates need U.S. citizenship, college degrees, and professional experience, and selection is only the beginning. Two years of demanding training lie ahead, and flight may come years later. Crew member Frank Rubio, who holds the American endurance record for consecutive days in space, reminded applicants that the moon itself will be a small share of the job, with most of the work contributing to a mission that others will carry out.
On Saturday, at an air show held at Kennedy Space Center to promote lunar exploration alongside advances in aviation and technology, NASA officials announced that the agency is looking for new astronauts. The recruits would help grow the Artemis program, and eventually a permanent base on the moon.
The last call for applicants came two years ago. More than 8,000 people applied, and ten made the final cut in September 2025. This time, the window runs from now until Dec. 3. NASA expects to make its final selection by late 2027, with the new candidates starting training by early 2028. That is the same year the agency intends to put astronauts back on the lunar surface, more than half a century after the last landing.
The need is plain in the numbers. NASA has only 32 active astronauts, and it wants to extend humanity's presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as it can. The Artemis II crew's lunar flyaround in April started the lunar campaign. "We have far more work than we have astronauts," Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told The Associated Press on Saturday. Of the moon landing planned for 2028, he told prospective candidates, "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 job is to practice docking their capsule with two lunar landers, one built by Elon Musk's SpaceX and the other by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. The mission stays close to Earth, with no lunar flyby. It is a dress rehearsal for Artemis IV the following year, which will try to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole. After that, the moon base is expected to take shape as more rovers, robots, structures and power grids are launched.
Being selected is only the start of a long road. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. Mandatory training lasts two years and can be grueling, and it may be several more years before a new astronaut actually flies. Frank Rubio, another Artemis III crew member, holds the U.S. endurance record of 371 consecutive days in space. He stressed that patience is essential.
Rubio also wanted applicants to understand what the job really consists of. "It's important for them to realize most of that work is not going to the moon, right?" he 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."
This will be NASA's 25th astronaut class, counting from the original Mercury Seven in 1959. The next dates to watch are the Dec. 3 deadline, next summer's Artemis III docking test, and the late-2027 announcement of who gets in.
Citazioni salienti
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
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