NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Corps Members
Space agency seeks applicants for the 25th class, with selection planned for late 2027 and training starting in 2028.
By Victoria Hayes ·
NASA accepted applications for a new class of astronauts on Saturday during an airshow at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The agency announced the opening of the recruitment window to expand its workforce for the Artemis lunar program.
The space agency last called for new astronaut candidates two years ago. More than 8,000 people applied for that cycle, and NASA selected 10 individuals in September 2025. The current astronaut corps consists of only 32 active members, a number the agency believes is insufficient for its expanding goals beyond low Earth orbit.
Randy Bresnik, commander of the Artemis III mission, told The Associated Press that the agency has more work available than the current staff can handle. He noted that the Artemis II lunar flyby in April marked the beginning of the active lunar campaign phase.
Aspiring candidates may submit their applications from now until December 3. NASA plans to select the final group by the end of 2027. New hires will begin mandatory training in early 2028, the same year the agency intends to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years.
Bresnik and his three crewmates are scheduled to launch next summer to practice docking their capsule with two lunar lander modules. One module was built by SpaceX, the company led by Elon Musk, and the other by Blue Origin, the company led by Jeff Bezos. This mission will stay near Earth without a lunar flyby and serves as a rehearsal for the Artemis IV mission next year, which aims to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole.
Frank Rubio, a member of the Artemis III crew, emphasized that patience is required for the role. He holds the U.S. record for endurance in space with 371 consecutive days. Candidates must be U.S. citizens with university degrees and professional work experience. The mandatory training lasts two years, and it may take additional years before candidates fly to space.
Rubio told The Associated Press that the majority of the work involves preparing for the mission rather than traveling to the moon. He described the actual trip as roughly 1% of the total experience, while the rest of the effort contributes to the overall goal of lunar exploration. This new class will be the 25th astronaut promotion since the original Mercury Seven group in 1959.
