NASA Opens Applications for Next Astronaut Class as Moon Base and Mars Missions Take Shape

Applications are now open for NASA's next class of astronaut candidates, and the window closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 3. Any U.S. citizen who meets the requirements can submit materials through the agency's online application portal.

The agency is recruiting as it works toward a return to the Moon, the construction of what it calls the Moon Base, and the groundwork for the first crewed missions to Mars. Those selected will train to operate on the lunar surface and to live and work beyond Earth. NASA says it will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions near the lunar South Pole, with the aim of exploring more of the Moon than has been explored before.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman framed the opportunity in direct terms. The people selected, he said, could walk on the Moon, live and work at the Moon Base, and help pioneer the systems and operations that will eventually carry crews to Mars. He said those missions will demand technical excellence, sound judgment, teamwork and courage. Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson put it more briefly: the window is open, the mission is waiting, and the only thing missing from the effort is the applicant.

The last call for applications came in 2024. From more than 8,000 submissions, NASA chose 10 astronaut candidates in 2025. That class was announced on Sept. 22, 2025, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, and its members are still in training, with nearly two years of instruction in total. The new selection is expected in late 2027, when the next group will begin its own training.

Scott Tingle, NASA's chief astronaut and chair of the Astronaut Selection Board, described the job as more than a career. In his words, it is a chance to join a legacy of explorers and to play a part in missions that will shape humanity's future in space. He added that the next candidates could help write history while inspiring future scientists, engineers and explorers.

The numbers give a sense of how selective the corps is. Since the 1960s, NASA has chosen 370 people to train as astronaut candidates. Today 32 astronauts are active in the corps, and those newly selected will join them to study spacewalking, lunar geology, the operation of high-performance aircraft and other subjects.

The baseline requirements are U.S. citizenship and a master's degree in a STEM field such as engineering, biological science, physical science or computer science, from an accredited institution. The degree requirement can also be met in other ways: at least two years of work toward a doctoral program in an appropriate technical field; a Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner or related medical degree; or completion of, or current enrollment in, a nationally recognized Test Pilot School program, provided it is finished by July 2027. Applicants whose only advanced technical credential is Test Pilot School must also hold a bachelor's degree in a STEM field.

Everyone must also have at least three years of related professional experience after earning the qualifying degree. Pilots can meet it through flight time: 750 hours as pilot in command in high-performance jets; 1,500 total hours in other fixed-wing aircraft, including 750 as pilot in command; or 1,000 total hours in rotary-wing aircraft, including 300 as pilot in command. For physicians, residency training can count, provided it is completed by July 2027.

Candidates must also pass NASA's long-duration astronaut flight physical and show strong leadership, teamwork and communication skills. After the Dec. 3 deadline, the next marker is late 2027, when NASA expects to name the class.