On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, amid an air show celebrating flight and technology, NASA invited a new generation of people to join the small community of those who travel beyond Earth. With only 32 active astronauts to carry an expanding lunar ambition, the agency is looking to widen its ranks as it aims, in 2028, to set human feet on the moon once more after more than half a century. The call is open until December 3, and the people who answer it will be stepping toward a future whose outlines are still being drawn.
NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class to Build Artemis Moon Program
Far more work than we have astronauts
Mark
Why is NASA recruiting again so soon? They only picked a class in September 2025.
Mimi
Because the roster is thin. Only 32 active astronauts, and Bresnik says there's far more work than people. The plan is to expand beyond low-Earth orbit quickly.
Mark
The timeline is interesting. Selection in late 2027, training in early 2028.
Mimi
And 2028 is also the year NASA intends to land astronauts on the moon again. So these recruits start training just as that happens.
Luke
Worth noting that's an intention, not a guarantee. The reporting says NASA intends to return in 2028; it doesn't say the date is locked.
Mark
Fair. What does Artemis III actually do, then?
Mimi
It stays near Earth. The crew practices docking their capsule with two landers, one from SpaceX and one from Blue Origin. Artemis IV the next year is the one that tries to land two astronauts near the south pole.
Mark
Rubio's comment struck me, that going to the moon is about 1% of the job.
Mimi
He's saying most of the work supports the mission rather than being the flight itself. Two years of training, then possibly several more years before flying.
Luke
And we don't know how many people NASA plans to select this time. The 8,000 applicants and 10 selections are from the last round, so they're no forecast for this one.
Mark
Good point. Anything else the story leaves open?
Luke
How many will be chosen, and how the lunar base grows beyond the list of rovers, robots, structures and power grids. Those details aren't in the reporting yet.
The Pulse
- NASA has only 32 active astronauts while the Artemis program demands far more hands than it has.
- Applications close December 3, and the agency is racing a tight clock toward a 2028 lunar return.
- The last call drew more than 8,000 applicants, and only 10 were chosen, so competition will be fierce.
- Artemis III will rehearse docking with SpaceX and Blue Origin landers next summer before Artemis IV tries a south pole landing.
- Training is grueling and flights may come years later, so the path ahead demands patience as much as ambition.
On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, amid an air show celebrating flight and technology, NASA invited a new generation of people to join the small community of those who travel beyond Earth. With only 32 active astronauts to carry an expanding lunar ambition, the agency is looking to widen its ranks as it aims, in 2028, to set human feet on the moon once more after more than half a century. The call is open until December 3, and the people who answer it will be stepping toward a future whose outlines are still being drawn.
At an air show at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, NASA announced that it is looking for its next class of astronauts. The recruits will help grow the Artemis program, whose stated goal is a permanent base on the moon.
The agency's last call came two years ago, when more than 8,000 people applied and 10 were chosen. Today NASA has just 32 active astronauts, and it wants to push human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as possible. Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik put the problem simply: there is far more work than there are astronauts to do it.
Applicants have until December 3. Final selections are expected by late 2027, with training beginning in early 2028, the year astronauts are meant to return to the lunar surface. Bresnik told candidates not to delay, since people will be on the moon by then.
Bresnik's crew launches next summer to practice docking with two lunar landers, one from SpaceX and one from Blue Origin, serving as a dress rehearsal for Artemis IV. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional experience, and the training itself can be grueling. Frank Rubio, who holds the U.S. record of 371 consecutive days in space, reminded applicants that most of the work is not the moon itself but the long, patient 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 its next class of astronauts. The recruits would help grow the Artemis program, and the stated goal is a permanent base on the moon.
The agency's last call for astronauts came two years ago. More than 8,000 people applied, and 10 were chosen in September 2025. NASA now has only 32 active astronauts, and it wants to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as fast as it can. The lunar campaign began in April, when the Artemis II crew flew around the moon.
Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik put the problem plainly to The Associated Press on Saturday: there is far more work than there are astronauts to do it.
The schedule is tight. Applicants have until Dec. 3. NASA expects to make its final selections by late 2027, and the new candidates would begin training by early 2028, the same year the agency intends to put astronauts back on the lunar surface after more than half a century away. Bresnik told potential candidates that by then people will be on the moon, so they should not delay.
Bresnik and his three crewmates are set 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, and serves as a dress rehearsal for Artemis IV the following year, which will try to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole. The moon base itself is expected to take shape gradually, as more rovers, robots, structures and power grids are launched.
The requirements are specific. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. Two years of mandatory training can be grueling, and it may be several more years after that before an astronaut actually flies.
Frank Rubio, another member of the Artemis III crew, stressed patience. His 371 consecutive days in space are a U.S. endurance record. He told the AP that most of an astronaut's work is not going to the moon. That part, he said, will be about 1% of the experience, and 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 next milestone is the Artemis III docking rehearsal next summer.
Notable Quotes
NASA has far more work than it has astronauts.— Randy Bresnik, Artemis III commander, to The Associated Press
Going to the moon will be about 1% of an astronaut's experience; the rest is contributing to the mission.— Frank Rubio, Artemis III astronaut, to The Associated Press
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