On a Florida air show weekend at Cape Canaveral, NASA opened a door that has been quietly waiting for a generation: a new class of astronauts, to be chosen for a return to the lunar surface that has not been walked upon in more than half a century. The agency is calling because the work has outgrown the people doing it, with only 32 active astronauts remaining as the Artemis program moves from circling the moon toward building a lasting presence there. Applications close December 3, and the years ahead will test whether patience and preparation can meet a moment that moves quickly.
NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class to Staff Artemis Lunar Base Push
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
The numbers explain it. Only 32 astronauts are active, and Bresnik said there's far more work than people to do it.
Luke
Worth noting that's his characterization. The article doesn't say how many astronauts NASA thinks it needs, or how big this class will be.
Mark
What's the timeline for someone who applies?
Mimi
Applications close Dec. 3, selection comes by late 2027, and training starts by early 2028. Training is two years, so flight could be years after that.
Luke
And the 2028 lunar landing is described as NASA's intention. It's a target, not a guarantee. These new recruits wouldn't be flying that mission anyway.
Mark
What did Rubio mean about the moon being 1% of the experience?
Mimi
He was telling applicants that most of an astronaut's career is supporting work. The moon is the goal, but the job is mostly contributing to the mission.
Luke
That 1% is his own rough estimate, not a measured figure.
Mark
What comes before any of that?
Mimi
Artemis III next summer, testing docking with the SpaceX and Blue Origin landers, then Artemis IV aiming for the south pole.
Der Puls
- Applications for a new astronaut class close on December 3, and NASA is racing to fill ranks thinned to just 32 active astronauts.
- The last call drew more than 8,000 hopefuls, yet only 10 were chosen, signaling how fiercely competitive the path to space has become.
- Artemis III's crew will rehearse docking with SpaceX and Blue Origin lunar landers next summer, a dress rehearsal before Artemis IV attempts a south pole landing.
- Candidates face strict requirements, two years of grueling training, and possibly years of waiting before any rocket carries them skyward.
- The mission is steadily converging on a permanent moon base, with rovers, robots, and power systems expected to follow the first crewed landing.
On a Florida air show weekend at Cape Canaveral, NASA opened a door that has been quietly waiting for a generation: a new class of astronauts, to be chosen for a return to the lunar surface that has not been walked upon in more than half a century. The agency is calling because the work has outgrown the people doing it, with only 32 active astronauts remaining as the Artemis program moves from circling the moon toward building a lasting presence there. Applications close December 3, and the years ahead will test whether patience and preparation can meet a moment that moves quickly.
At a Kennedy Space Center air show in Cape Canaveral on Saturday, NASA officials spoke to anyone who has dreamed of flying to the moon and announced that the agency is accepting applications for a new class of astronauts. The call comes two years after the last one, which drew more than 8,000 applicants and ended with 10 selections in September 2025. Even so, NASA counts only 32 active astronauts, and it says it needs more as it works to push human presence beyond low-Earth orbit.
Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told the Associated Press that there is far more work than there are astronauts. Applications remain open until December 3, with final candidates expected by late 2027 and training beginning in early 2028, the same year NASA hopes to land astronauts on the lunar surface again. Bresnik's advice to applicants was simple: the moon will not wait, so do not either.
Bresnik and three crewmates launch next summer on a mission that stays near Earth, rehearsing docking with two lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. It sets the stage for Artemis IV, which will attempt to place two astronauts near the lunar south pole. A permanent moon base is expected to grow afterward.
The bar is high. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional experience, and selected astronauts face two demanding years of training before spaceflight, which may still be years away. Frank Rubio, who holds the American endurance record of 371 consecutive days in space, urged patience, noting that the moon itself will be only a small fraction of the work. The rest is the long, careful labor of getting there.
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, held at Cape Canaveral, Florida, promoted lunar exploration along with advances in aviation and technology.
The call comes two years after the last one. That round drew more than 8,000 applicants, and 10 of them made the final cut in September 2025. Even so, NASA has only 32 active astronauts, and the agency says it needs more as it tries to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as it can. The effort 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. Applications are open until Dec. 3. NASA expects to choose its final candidates by late 2027, and training is to start by early 2028. That is the same year the agency intends to return astronauts to the lunar surface, after an absence of more than fifty years. Bresnik's message to prospective applicants was that by then people will be on the moon, so they should not wait.
Bresnik and his three crewmates are due to launch next summer. Their mission will stay 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 is meant as a dress rehearsal for Artemis IV the following year, which will attempt to put two astronauts down near the lunar south pole. After that, a permanent moon base is expected to take shape as more rovers, robots, structures and power grids are launched.
The requirements are stiff. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. Those chosen face two years of mandatory training that can be grueling, and it may be several more years before they actually ride a rocket into space.
Frank Rubio, also of the Artemis III crew, stressed patience. He holds the U.S. endurance record of 371 consecutive days in space. He told the AP that applicants should understand most of the work is not going to the moon. By his estimate, that part 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 back to the original Mercury Seven in 1959. The next dates to watch are the Dec. 3 deadline and the Artemis III launch next summer.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We have far more work than we have astronauts.— Randy Bresnik, Artemis III commander, to The Associated Press
Going to the moon will be about 1% of your experience; the rest is contributing to that mission.— Frank Rubio, Artemis III astronaut (paraphrased), to The Associated Press
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