NASA is now accepting applications for its next class of astronauts, seeking explorers to help write “the next chapter of human spaceflight” as the agency returns to the Moon, builds a lunar base, and lays groundwork for crewed missions to Mars.
Applications opened on November 7 and close at 11:59 p.m. EST on December 3. NASA expects to make final selections in late 2027, when the chosen candidates will start roughly two years of training at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The new group will be NASA’s 25th astronaut class.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said: “This is an extraordinary time to join NASA’s astronaut corps. 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.”
The agency last opened applications in 2024, drawing more than 8,000 applicants, only 10 were selected and are currently completing training. NASA has 32 active astronauts and has selected 370 people since the 1960s.
Officials say more are needed as missions grow more ambitious.
Basic requirements include U.S. citizenship and a master’s degree in a STEM field, though several alternative are accepted, including two years toward a doctoral prgoram, certain medical degrees, or completion of a nationally recognized Test Pilot School.
Candidates also need atleast three years of related professional experience, must pass NASA’s long-duration flight physical, and must demonstrate strong leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. Pilot applicants can qualify through specific flight hours.
Selected candidates will train in spacewalking, lunar geology, robotic operations, and high-performance aircraft. NASA plans to send astronauts to the lunar South Pole under Artemis, establish an enduring lunar presence, and build toward the first crewed Mars mission.
