NASA has opened applications for a new astronaut class whose members could train for future missions to the Moon and help develop the skills needed for eventual crewed exploration of Mars.
The recruitment drive, announced on November 7, gives eligible U.S. citizens until 11:59 p.m. EST on December 3, 2026, to submit their applications. NASA expects to make its final selections in late 2027. The agency has not yet named the new candidates.
According to NASA’s recruitment announcement, the next generation will prepare to operate on the lunar surface and live and work beyond Earth as the agency pursues a sustained human presence on the Moon.
Training for lunar exploration
Selected applicants will study spacewalking, lunar geology and the operation of high-performance aircraft, among other skills. Those disciplines combine the practical demands of operating in space with the scientific work astronauts could undertake on future lunar expeditions.
“The people we select could walk on the Moon, live and work at the Moon Base, and help pioneer the systems and operations that will ultimately carry crews to Mars,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in the announcement.
NASA linked the recruitment campaign to its Artemis ambitions, including increasingly demanding missions near the lunar South Pole. The announcement describes possible future assignments, not confirmed flight bookings for the applicants who will be selected.
Who can apply?
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and generally hold a master’s degree in an eligible science, technology, engineering or mathematics field from an accredited institution. NASA also accepts specified alternatives, including qualifying doctoral study, medical qualifications and a nationally recognized test-pilot school program, subject to its detailed requirements.
Candidates must also have at least three years of related professional experience after completing their qualifying degree. Pilots can meet the experience requirement through specified flight-hour thresholds, while qualifying medical residency training can count toward professional experience.
Applicants must pass NASA’s long-duration astronaut flight physical and demonstrate leadership, teamwork and communication skills. Certain training and residency requirements must be completed by July 2027.
A separate class is already training
The recruitment round is separate from NASA’s 2025 astronaut candidate class. The agency received more than 8,000 applications after its previous call in 2024 and selected 10 candidates in 2025. Those candidates are completing a training program lasting nearly two years.
NASA said it has selected 370 people to train as astronaut candidates since the 1960s and currently has 32 active astronauts. The new recruitment effort seeks to build the workforce for missions extending beyond Earth orbit.
Prospective applicants can consult NASA’s astronaut application information for the full eligibility rules and application process.
