Some seventy years after the first American astronauts were chosen from a field of volunteers, NASA is again opening its ranks, this time to prepare for a future in which people live and work on the moon rather than merely visiting it. The call is a reminder of how thin the human presence beyond Earth still is, with only 32 active astronauts to carry a program now measured in decades rather than missions. Applicants have until December 3 to step forward, joining a long line that began with the Mercury Seven in 1959. What they are asked to commit to is less a single moment of flight than a long
NASA Opens Astronaut Applications to Help Staff Artemis and Build a Lunar Base
"We have far more work than we have astronauts."
Mark
Why is NASA recruiting now, so soon after the last class?
Mimi
Because the workload has outgrown the roster. Only 32 astronauts are active, and Randy Bresnik said there is far more work than astronauts.
Mark
The last class drew over 8,000 applicants and took 10. Does that tell us what to expect?
Mimi
It shows how selective it is. Ten of more than 8,000 were chosen in September 2025.
Luke
Fair, but nothing in the reporting says how many this class will take. The size is unstated, so I wouldn't assume it matches the last one.
Mark
What does Frank Rubio's 1% remark mean for applicants?
Mimi
That the job is mostly preparation and support. Two years of training come first, and flying may take several years after that.
Luke
Worth noting that's Rubio's own estimate of his experience, not an official statistic.
Mark
And the timeline for the moon?
Mimi
Selection by late 2027, training by early 2028, the same year NASA intends to land astronauts. Artemis III next summer rehearses docking with the SpaceX and Blue Origin landers.
Luke
Intends is the key word. The landing date is a plan, and the reporting gives no assurance it will hold.
O Pulso
- NASA has only 32 active astronauts, yet it wants to put people back on the lunar surface within the next two years.
- The last open call drew more than 8,000 applicants, but only 10 were chosen, leaving the agency stretched thin.
- Applications close December 3, with final selections expected by late 2027 and training beginning in early 2028.
- Artemis III will rehearse docking with SpaceX and Blue Origin landers next summer, setting the stage for a south pole landing attempt the following year.
Some seventy years after the first American astronauts were chosen from a field of volunteers, NASA is again opening its ranks, this time to prepare for a future in which people live and work on the moon rather than merely visiting it. The call is a reminder of how thin the human presence beyond Earth still is, with only 32 active astronauts to carry a program now measured in decades rather than missions. Applicants have until December 3 to step forward, joining a long line that began with the Mercury Seven in 1959. What they are asked to commit to is less a single moment of flight than a long apprenticeship in preparation for the work that comes after.
On Saturday, at an air show at Kennedy Space Center devoted to lunar exploration and advances in aviation, NASA announced it is looking for new astronauts. The new class will help grow the Artemis program and, eventually, help build a permanent base on the moon.
The agency's last call two years ago drew more than 8,000 applicants, and only 10 were selected in September 2025. With just 32 active astronauts, NASA is eager to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as it can. Randy Bresnik, commander of Artemis III, put it plainly: "We have far more work than we have astronauts."
The timeline is firm. Applications close December 3, final selections are expected by late 2027, and new candidates begin training in early 2028, the same year astronauts are meant to return to the lunar surface. Artemis III will launch next summer on a near-Earth mission to practice docking with two lunar landers, one from SpaceX and one from Blue Origin, as a rehearsal for Artemis IV's planned south pole landing.
Frank Rubio, who holds the U.S. endurance record of 371 consecutive days in space, offered a sober note for applicants. Training lasts two years and can be grueling, and flights may still be years away. "Most of that work is not going to the moon," he said, putting the lunar trip at about 1% of an astronaut's experience. The rest is the patient work of getting there.
On Saturday, at an air show at Kennedy Space Center devoted to lunar exploration and advances in aviation and technology, NASA officials announced that the agency is looking for new astronauts. Applications are open for a class that will help grow the Artemis program and, eventually, help build 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. NASA now has only 32 active astronauts, and it wants to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as it can. The campaign began 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.
The timeline is specific. Applicants have until Dec. 3 to submit. NASA expects to make its final selections by late 2027, and the new candidates would begin training by early 2028. That is the same year the agency intends to put astronauts back on the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century. By then, Bresnik said, "we're going to have people on the moon — so don't delay."
Bresnik and his three crewmates will launch next summer on a mission that 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 is meant 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 is expected to take shape over time as more rovers, robots, structures and power grids are launched.
The job demands patience, said Frank Rubio, another member of the Artemis III crew, who holds the U.S. endurance record of 371 consecutive days in space. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. Selected candidates face two years of mandatory training that can be grueling, and it may be several more years before they actually fly.
Rubio urged applicants to understand what the work really is. "Most of that work is not going to the moon," he told the AP, putting the lunar trip at about 1% of an astronaut's experience. The rest, he said, is contributing to the mission of getting there.
The coming class will be NASA's 25th since the original Mercury Seven were chosen in 1959. The next markers are the Dec. 3 deadline, next summer's Artemis III docking rehearsal, and the Artemis IV landing attempt planned for the year after.
Citações Notáveis
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 is about 1% of your experience.— Frank Rubio, Artemis III astronaut (paraphrased)
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