NASA Opens Moon Astronaut Applications

NASA is accepting applications for a new class of astronauts who will serve the agency's lunar program. The starting salary for selected candidates is $164,395. Applications are due by December 3.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the new astronauts will live and work at a future moon base. He noted that these missions require technical excellence and teamwork. Isaacman described the role as an extraordinary challenge for Americans serving the nation.

The agency currently employs 32 active astronauts. Since the 1960s, NASA has selected 370 people to train. The selection process remains highly competitive. In the most recent class, 10 candidates were chosen from more than 8,000 applicants.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a master's degree in a STEM field. The agency recently expanded this definition to include nursing. Anna Schneider, a NASA spokesperson, confirmed that master's-level nursing degrees now meet the minimum educational requirement. This change applies to degrees previously excluded from the STEM definition.

Candidates must also have three years of related professional experience after completing their degree. Alternatively, the agency will consider PhD candidates, doctors, or pilots with extensive flight experience. Selected astronauts will undergo two years of training. They will prepare for missions that include landing near the moon's South Pole.

NASA aims to return humans to the moon in 2028. This would be the first crewed lunar mission since 1972. The agency is using private companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX to build the necessary spacecraft. Isaacman expressed strong confidence that the Artemis III mission will launch in 2027.