On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, amid an air show celebrating flight and exploration, NASA opened the door to a new generation of astronauts, a reminder that every return to the moon depends on people willing to spend years preparing for work most of them will never see from the lunar surface. With only 32 active astronauts left and the agency's ambitions reaching toward a permanent base, the call asks candidates to commit patiently to a long, demanding path that stretches from application to training to a flight that may still be years away. The human story of exploration has always res
NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class to Help Build Lunar Base Under Artemis
"We have far more work than we have astronauts."
Mark
Why is NASA recruiting again so soon? The last class was only picked in September 2025.
Mimi
Because the roster is thin. Only 32 active astronauts, and the agency wants to expand beyond low-Earth orbit fast. Bresnik said there's far more work than astronauts.
Mark
How competitive was the last round?
Mimi
More than 8,000 applied and 10 were chosen.
Luke
Worth noting that's the only applicant data we have. Nothing here says how many are expected this time.
Mark
What's the timeline for someone who applies now?
Mimi
Deadline Dec. 3, selection by late 2027, training by early 2028. Two years of training, then possibly several more before a flight.
Luke
So a landing in 2028 is the agency's intent, not a guarantee, and a new recruit wouldn't be on it anyway.
Mark
What did Rubio mean by the 1 percent?
Mimi
That going to the moon is a small slice of an astronaut's career. Most of it is supporting the mission.
Luke
That's his own estimate, a figure of speech more than a measured statistic.
Mark
And Artemis III?
Mimi
Next summer, docking practice with the SpaceX and Blue Origin landers, no lunar flyby, ahead of Artemis IV's attempted south pole landing.
Der Puls
- NASA is stretched thin, with only 32 active astronauts facing a moon mission schedule that is accelerating rapidly.
- Applications close December 3, leaving prospective candidates a tight window to decide whether to step forward.
- The last selection drew over 8,000 applicants for just 10 spots, making the competition fierce and the odds steep.
- Artemis III will rehearse docking with SpaceX and Blue Origin landers next summer, setting the stage for Artemis IV's planned south pole landing.
- Selections are expected by late 2027 and training by early 2028, with the agency aiming to put astronauts back on the lunar surface in the same year.
On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, amid an air show celebrating flight and exploration, NASA opened the door to a new generation of astronauts, a reminder that every return to the moon depends on people willing to spend years preparing for work most of them will never see from the lunar surface. With only 32 active astronauts left and the agency's ambitions reaching toward a permanent base, the call asks candidates to commit patiently to a long, demanding path that stretches from application to training to a flight that may still be years away. The human story of exploration has always rested on such quiet commitments, and this one is no different.
On Saturday, at an air show at Kennedy Space Center meant to celebrate lunar exploration and advances in aviation, NASA announced it is accepting applications for a new class of astronauts. The recruits would help expand the Artemis program and, eventually, a permanent base on the moon.
The agency is candid about its staffing strain. Only 32 astronauts remain active, and NASA wants to push human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as possible. Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told the Associated Press plainly that there is far more work than there are astronauts.
The last call drew more than 8,000 applicants and produced 10 selections in September 2025. This window is shorter, closing Dec. 3, with selection expected by late 2027 and training beginning in early 2028, the same year astronauts are meant to return to the lunar surface. Bresnik urged applicants not to delay.
The campaign is already moving. Artemis II flew around the moon in April, and next summer Bresnik and three crewmates launch on Artemis III to rehearse docking with lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. That serves as a dress rehearsal for Artemis IV, which will attempt a landing near the lunar south pole.
The job asks for patience. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional experience, and selection leads to two years of demanding training before a flight, which may come years later. Frank Rubio, who holds the American record for consecutive days in space, warned that most of the work is not going to the moon. Only about 1 percent of the experience will be the moon itself; the rest is building the path there.
On Saturday, at an air show at Kennedy Space Center meant to promote lunar exploration and advances in aviation and technology, NASA announced that it is taking applications for a new class of astronauts. The recruits would help grow the Artemis program and, eventually, a permanent base on the moon.
The agency has a staffing problem it is open about. It has only 32 active astronauts, and it wants to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as it can. Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik put it plainly to The Associated Press: there is far more work than there are astronauts.
The last call came two years ago. More than 8,000 people applied, and 10 made the final cut in September 2025. This time the window is shorter and closes Dec. 3. NASA expects to choose its candidates by late 2027, and training would begin 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 people left it. Bresnik told prospective applicants that by then people will be on the moon, so they should not delay.
The campaign is already under way. The Artemis II crew flew around the moon in April, which opened the lunar effort. Next summer, Bresnik and his three crewmates will launch on Artemis III. 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. It 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 job asks for patience. Frank Rubio, another Artemis III astronaut, holds the U.S. record for endurance in space with 371 consecutive days. He noted that candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. Selection is followed by two years of mandatory training that can be grueling, and it may take several more years before a new astronaut actually flies.
Rubio also tried to set expectations about the work. Most of it, he told the AP, is not going to the moon. That part will be about 1 percent of the experience, and the rest is contributing to the mission of getting there.
This will be NASA's 25th astronaut class, counting back to the original Mercury Seven in 1959. The deadline is Dec. 3, and the next marker is the late-2027 selection announcement.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We have far more work than we have astronauts.— Randy Bresnik, Artemis III commander
Most of that work is not going to the moon; that will be about 1% of your experience.— Frank Rubio, Artemis III astronaut
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