On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, during an air show meant to celebrate lunar ambition alongside aviation and technology, NASA opened the door to a new generation of astronauts. The agency is short-handed, with only 32 people currently active, and its stated dream of a permanent base on the moon asks for far more hands than that. Applicants have until December 3, and the work they might join stretches across years of training and waiting, toward a return to the lunar surface that has not happened in more than half a century.
NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class to Support Artemis Moon Program
"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
The numbers explain it. There are just 32 active astronauts, and the Artemis plans call for a lot more people. Bresnik said they have far more work than astronauts.
Mark
And the last call drew more than 8,000 applicants for 10 spots.
Mimi
Right, so the pool is deep. Applications close Dec. 3, and selection is expected by late 2027.
Luke
Worth noting that the timeline is NASA's intention. The 2028 lunar landing is a goal the agency states, not something already achieved.
Mark
Rubio made a point about expectations, didn't he?
Mimi
He said most of the job isn't going to the moon. He put that at about 1% of the experience. The rest is supporting the mission.
Luke
That 1% is his own rough estimate, not an official figure. It's a candid way to frame it, though.
Mark
What happens before any of these recruits fly?
Mimi
Artemis III goes up next summer to practice docking with SpaceX and Blue Origin landers, then Artemis IV attempts a south pole landing the next year.
Luke
The source doesn't say how many people NASA plans to select this time, so we don't know the class size yet.
The Pulse
- NASA is recruiting for the first time in two years, drawing a fresh wave of ambition after more than 8,000 people competed for the last class.
- With only 32 active astronauts, the agency faces a staffing shortage just as its lunar schedule accelerates.
- Applications close December 3, leaving a narrow window for candidates to answer a call that promises selection by late 2027 and training by early 2028.
- Artemis III will rehearse docking with two competing lunar landers next summer, and Artemis IV aims to land astronauts near the lunar south pole the year after.
On a Saturday at Kennedy Space Center, during an air show meant to celebrate lunar ambition alongside aviation and technology, NASA opened the door to a new generation of astronauts. The agency is short-handed, with only 32 people currently active, and its stated dream of a permanent base on the moon asks for far more hands than that. Applicants have until December 3, and the work they might join stretches across years of training and waiting, toward a return to the lunar surface that has not happened in more than half a century.
On Saturday, at a Kennedy Space Center air show built to showcase lunar exploration alongside aviation and technology, NASA announced it is taking applications for a new astronaut class. The goal is to expand the Artemis program and, ultimately, to build a permanent base on the moon.
The last open call drew more than 8,000 applicants, and 10 were chosen in September 2025. This class would be NASA's 25th, stretching back to the original Mercury Seven in 1959. The agency is thin on crew, with just 32 active astronauts, and Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told the Associated Press there is far more work than people to do it.
Applications are due December 3, with selection expected by late 2027 and training beginning in early 2028, the same year NASA hopes to return astronauts to the lunar surface. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional experience, and selectees face two years of demanding training before they may fly.
Next summer, Bresnik and three crewmates will practice docking with two lunar landers, built by SpaceX and Blue Origin, on a mission that stays near Earth. Artemis IV would follow the year after, attempting a landing near the lunar south pole. Frank Rubio, who holds the U.S. record for consecutive days in space, offered a grounding reminder: most of an astronaut's work is not the moon itself, but the long preparation that makes the journey possible.
On Saturday, at an air show at Kennedy Space Center meant to promote lunar exploration along with 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 the agency's stated aim is a permanent base on the moon.
The last call for astronauts came two years ago. More than 8,000 people applied, and 10 made the final cut in September 2025. This new group will be NASA's 25th astronaut class, counting back to the original Mercury Seven in 1959.
The agency has a staffing problem. It has only 32 active astronauts, and it wants to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as fast as it can. The campaign began in April, when the Artemis II crew flew around the moon. Randy Bresnik, commander of Artemis III, told The Associated Press on Saturday that there is far more work than there are astronauts to do it.
The window is short. Applications are due Dec. 3. NASA expects to pick its candidates by late 2027, and training would start 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 time. Bresnik told prospective applicants that people will be on the moon by then, so they should not delay.
Bresnik and his three crewmates 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. The moon base itself is expected to take shape gradually as more rovers, robots, structures and power grids are launched.
The requirements are plain. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. Those selected face two years of mandatory training, which can be grueling, and it may be several more years before they actually fly.
Frank Rubio, also on the Artemis III crew, holds the U.S. record for endurance in space at 371 consecutive days. He stressed patience. Most of an astronaut's work, he told the AP, is not going to the moon. He put that part at about 1% of the experience, with the rest spent contributing to the mission of getting there.
The next markers are the Dec. 3 deadline, the Artemis III docking test next summer, and the Artemis IV landing attempt the year after.
Notable Quotes
We have far more work than we have astronauts.— Randy Bresnik, Artemis III commander, to The Associated Press
Most of an astronaut's work is not going to the moon; that is about 1% of the experience, and the rest is contributing to the mission.— Frank Rubio, Artemis III astronaut, to The Associated Press
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