Across the long arc of human exploration, a moment arrives when the call goes out for those willing to leave Earth for a new world. NASA has opened applications for astronauts who would train to live and work on the Moon, with a window closing on December 3, 2026, and a crew expected to be chosen in late 2027. In the same stretch of days, the agency has also invited commercial firms to bid on a ten-billion-dollar, decade-long effort to deliver the landers and cargo that make such a presence possible. Together these steps reveal a patient ambition: to people a lunar outpost, and to keep it supp
NASA Opens Moon Base Astronaut Applications as $10 Billion in Lunar Delivery Contracts Go to Bid
Recruiting the crew and soliciting the landers at the same time
Mark
So NASA is hiring astronauts for the Moon, and the deadline is December 3?
Mimi
Yes, 11:59 PM EST on December 3, 2026. Applicants need U.S. citizenship and a STEM master's degree, and NASA says it will choose the class in late 2027.
Mark
And the contracts are the other half of the story?
Mimi
Right. NASA opened bidding to eight companies for CLPS 2, a 10-year contract with a combined maximum value of $10 billion for landers that deliver payloads to the Moon.
Luke
Careful with that $10 billion. It's a maximum value across multiple awards, not money committed to any one company.
Mimi
Fair. It's an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity structure, so the actual spending depends on what NASA orders.
Mark
Who's bidding?
Mimi
SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin Space are named. Boeing isn't on the list.
Luke
The source ties Boeing's absence to Starliner's troubles, but it doesn't say why Boeing isn't included. That's an inference, not a stated reason.
Mark
What should we watch?
Mimi
Who wins the awards, and whether the landers keep the Moon Base timeline on track.
Luke
And the source gives no schedule for when the Moon Base itself would be ready, so that's still unknown.
O Pulso
- Applications for Moon Base astronauts close in under a month, leaving little room for hesitation among would-be explorers.
- Eight companies are racing to win a share of a $10 billion CLPS 2 contract, with Boeing conspicuously absent from the field.
- NASA is working both ends of the effort at once, recruiting crews while soliciting the landers that must carry them their supplies.
- Selection of the new astronaut class is not expected until late 2027, so the lunar timeline depends on contracts not yet awarded.
- The schedule for the Moon Base now rests on whether the lander contracts can be won, built, and delivered on time.
Across the long arc of human exploration, a moment arrives when the call goes out for those willing to leave Earth for a new world. NASA has opened applications for astronauts who would train to live and work on the Moon, with a window closing on December 3, 2026, and a crew expected to be chosen in late 2027. In the same stretch of days, the agency has also invited commercial firms to bid on a ten-billion-dollar, decade-long effort to deliver the landers and cargo that make such a presence possible. Together these steps reveal a patient ambition: to people a lunar outpost, and to keep it supplied, before the distant goal of Mars comes into view.
NASA has given would-be astronauts a little under a month to apply for a job that, if all goes to plan, will end with them living and working on the Moon. Applications are due by 11:59 PM EST on December 3, 2026, submitted through the agency's website. The people chosen will help build the Moon Base and prepare the way for the first crewed missions to Mars, training to operate on the lunar surface and to push the limits of human exploration.
The requirements are specific. Applicants must be U.S. citizens holding a master's degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution, with engineering, biological science, physical science, and computer science named among the qualifying disciplines. The selection process will stretch roughly a year past the deadline, with a new class expected in late 2027.
A second announcement addresses how those explorers would be sustained. NASA has opened bidding to eight companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin Space, for CLPS 2, a ten-year master contract worth up to $10 billion. Winners will manage, build, and operate the landers that carry science, technology, and infrastructure to the Moon. Boeing, whose Starliner program has struggled, is not among the bidders.
The two announcements show the agency working both ends of the same effort: recruiting the people who will go, and securing the commercial landers that will carry what they need. What comes next is which firms win, and whether those contracts keep the Moon Base on schedule as the astronaut selection moves toward 2027.
NASA has given would-be astronauts a little under a month to apply for a job that, if it goes as planned, ends with them living and working on the Moon. The agency announced the opening this week, saying it is looking for the explorers who will help write the next chapter of human spaceflight. Applications close at 11:59 PM EST on December 3, 2026, and are submitted through NASA's website.
The agency describes the successful candidates as people who will join NASA as America returns to the Moon, builds what it calls the Moon Base, and lays the groundwork for the first crewed missions to Mars. They will train to operate on the lunar surface, live and work beyond Earth, and take on missions meant to push the boundaries of human exploration.
The bar to entry is specific. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and hold a master's degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution. NASA names engineering, biological science, physical science, and computer science among the qualifying disciplines, and says its requirements go beyond those basics. The agency expects to pick its new class of astronauts in late 2027, which means the selection process will run for roughly a year after the window closes.
A second announcement addresses the harder question of how people would actually be supported once they get there. NASA has opened bidding to eight companies for contracts covering future lunar surface delivery missions. The work falls under the second phase of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, known as CLPS, and the new phase is being called CLPS 2.
The scale is considerable. NASA describes CLPS 2 as a 10-year, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity master contract with a combined maximum value of $10 billion. Companies that win a place on it will provide lunar delivery services, including managing, building, and operating landers that carry NASA science, technology, and infrastructure payloads to the Moon.
The list of bidders includes SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin Space. One notable name is missing: Boeing, whose Starliner program has been plagued with issues.
Taken together, the two announcements show the agency working both ends of the same effort, recruiting the people who will go and soliciting the commercial landers that would carry the cargo and infrastructure to support them. What to watch next is which firms ultimately win CLPS 2 awards, and whether those lander contracts keep the Moon Base schedule on track as the astronaut selection moves toward late 2027.
Citações Notáveis
NASA is looking for the explorers who will help write the next chapter of human spaceflight.— NASA announcement
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em Gizmodo ↗
Science & Space