On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, NASA opened the door to a new generation of explorers, inviting applications for an astronaut class meant to carry the Artemis program toward a lasting presence on the moon. The agency has only 32 active astronauts, and the arithmetic of a distant frontier is unforgiving: there is far more work than there are hands to do it. Those who answer the call will join a human story that began with the Mercury Seven in 1959 and now turns toward the lunar surface, which people have not walked on for more than half a century. Whether they arrive in time for the land
NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class to Expand Artemis Lunar Program
We have far more work than we have astronauts.
Mark
Why is NASA recruiting now, only two years after the last class?
Mimi
Because the workload is outgrowing the roster. There are just 32 active astronauts, and Artemis III's commander said there is far more work than astronauts.
Mark
Is the odds picture daunting? Last time 8,000 applied.
Luke
Those are the numbers: more than 8,000 applicants, 10 selected in September 2025. The article doesn't say how many slots this class will have, so I wouldn't guess at the odds.
Mimi
What it does make clear is the timeline. Applications close Dec. 3, selection comes by late 2027, and training starts by early 2028.
Mark
And Rubio's point about the moon being 1% of the job?
Mimi
It's a reality check. Training is two years, and it could be several more before a flight. Most of the work supports the mission rather than being the trip itself.
Luke
Worth noting that 1% is his own characterization of the experience, not an agency statistic.
Mark
Does the 2028 lunar landing date hold?
Luke
It's NASA's stated intention. The reporting doesn't offer a guarantee, and Artemis III and IV still have to happen first.
Mimi
Next summer's docking test with the SpaceX and Blue Origin landers is the next thing to watch.
Der Puls
- Only 32 astronauts are active, and NASA says the workload has outpaced its crew roster.
- Applications close December 3, so the window to answer the moon call is measured in weeks.
- Over 8,000 people applied last time for just 10 seats, so competition is fierce and selective.
- The Artemis III crew launches next summer to rehearse docking with SpaceX and Blue Origin landers before Artemis IV attempts a south pole landing the year after.
On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, NASA opened the door to a new generation of explorers, inviting applications for an astronaut class meant to carry the Artemis program toward a lasting presence on the moon. The agency has only 32 active astronauts, and the arithmetic of a distant frontier is unforgiving: there is far more work than there are hands to do it. Those who answer the call will join a human story that began with the Mercury Seven in 1959 and now turns toward the lunar surface, which people have not walked on for more than half a century. Whether they arrive in time for the landings or spend years preparing for a single moment of ascent, their patience will be part of the mission itself.
At a Kennedy Space Center air show on Saturday, NASA made a direct appeal to anyone who has dreamed of flying to the moon: it is accepting applications for a new class of astronauts. The show's lunar theme made the timing fitting. The class is meant to grow the Artemis program and, eventually, support a permanent base on the moon.
The last call drew more than 8,000 applicants, and 10 were chosen in September 2025. This time, applications are due by December 3, with final selections expected by late 2027 and training beginning in early 2028, the same year astronauts are meant to return to the lunar surface. It will be NASA's 25th astronaut class.
The reason is simple. With only 32 active astronauts, NASA wants to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as fast as it can. Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told the AP that there is far more work than astronauts, and urged candidates not to wait, since the moon may be crowded with people by the time recruits finish training.
Bresnik's crew launches next summer on a mission that stays near Earth, practicing docking with two lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. It is a rehearsal for Artemis IV, which will try to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole. Crewmate Frank Rubio, who holds the U.S. endurance record at 371 consecutive days in space, offered a grounding note: most of the work is not the moon itself, which he estimated at about 1 percent of the experience, but the preparation that makes the journey possible.
At a Kennedy Space Center air show on Saturday, NASA officials made an announcement aimed at anyone who has ever wanted to fly to the moon: the agency is accepting applications for a new class of astronauts. The show was built around lunar exploration, along with advances in aviation and technology, and the recruitment call fit its theme. The new class is meant to help grow the Artemis program and, eventually, a permanent base on the moon.
The agency's last call came two years ago. More than 8,000 people applied, and 10 made the final cut in September 2025. This time, applicants have until Dec. 3 to submit their materials. NASA expects to choose its final candidates by late 2027, with training beginning by early 2028. That is the same year the agency intends to put astronauts back on the lunar surface after an absence of more than half a century. It will be NASA's 25th astronaut class, counting back to the Mercury Seven in 1959.
The reason for the push is simple arithmetic. NASA has only 32 active astronauts, and it wants to extend humanity's presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as it can. The lunar campaign got under way in April, when the Artemis II crew flew around the moon. "We have far more work than we have astronauts," Randy Bresnik, commander of Artemis III, told The Associated Press on Saturday. By the time the new recruits finish training, he said, people will be on the moon, so he urged would-be candidates not to delay.
Bresnik and his three crewmates 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 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. After selection comes two years of mandatory training, which can be grueling, and it may take several more years before an astronaut actually rides a rocket into space.
Frank Rubio, another Artemis III crew member, stressed patience. He holds the U.S. endurance record, with 371 consecutive days in space. He told the AP that candidates should understand most of the work is not going to the moon. That, he said, will be about 1% of the experience, and the rest is contributing to the mission of getting there.
The application window closes Dec. 3, and the next marker is the Artemis III docking test next summer, ahead of the Artemis IV landing attempt the year after.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We have far more work than we have astronauts.— Randy Bresnik, Artemis III commander
Going to the moon will be about 1% of your experience; the rest is contributing to the mission.— Frank Rubio, Artemis III astronaut (paraphrased)
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