NASA has put out a call for a new generation of astronauts as it searches for explorers who can live and work on the Moon. Opening applications for the latest expansion of its Artemis program, the US agency said successful candidates would help “shape humanity’s future in space” as it builds a base on the Moon and plans the first crewed missions to Mars. The news was announced Saturday during a Kennedy Space Center air show promoting lunar exploration as well as advances in aviation and technology. “This is an extraordinary time to join the NASA Astronaut Corps,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “The people we select could walk on the Moon, live and work on the Moon Base, and help pioneer the systems and operations that will ultimately take crews to Mars.” NASA hopes to make its final selection in late 2027 to begin training the next generation of astronaut candidates. The agency last opened applications for new astronauts in 2024, and ultimately accepted 10 new astronauts out of more than 8,000 applicants in September 2025. “For those who apply, becoming a NASA astronaut is more than a career opportunity,” said Scott Tingle, chief astronaut and chair of the Astronaut Selection Board at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “It is an opportunity to join a legacy of explorers who have pushed the boundaries of discovery and are playing a role in the missions that will shape humanity’s future in space.” Since the 1960s, NASA has selected 370 people to train as astronaut candidates for increasingly challenging missions. The agency currently has 32 active astronauts in the astronaut corps. Isaacman and other agency leaders recently laid out NASA’s ambitions to return Americans to the moon in 2028. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin intend to support a manned moon landing. All applicants must be U.S. citizens, NASA said, and have a master’s degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics; medical qualifications; pilot training; or two years of work in a relevant doctoral programme. Three years of “related professional experience” is also required. Applicant pilots must have 750 hours of pilot-in-command time in a high-performance aircraft, 1,500 total flight hours in another fixed-wing aircraft, or 1,000 total flight hours in a rotary-wing aircraft. Applicants have until 11:59 pm ET on Thursday, December 3 to submit their applications.
