NASA is recruiting its next class of astronauts to help establish a permanent Moon Base and prepare for crewed missions to Mars, with applications open through Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026.
The agency announced the call for explorers on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, during a Kennedy Space Center air show. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called it an extraordinary time to join NASA’s astronaut corps,
noting that the selected candidates could walk on the Moon, live and work at the Moon Base, and help pioneer systems for future missions to Mars.
NASA’s current active astronaut corps consists of just 32 members. With ambitious Artemis program goals ahead, the agency needs more recruits to expand humanity’s presence beyond low Earth orbit. Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik emphasized the urgency, stating, We have far more work than we have astronauts.
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The selected candidates will train for increasingly difficult missions, including operations at the Moon’s South Pole. Their work will support NASA’s goal of returning humans to the lunar surface in 2028, the first time since 1972. Isaacman expressed confidence, saying he is “very confident” the Artemis III moon mission will launch in 2027.
Those missions will demand technical excellence, sound judgment, teamwork, and courage,
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
The application process is extremely competitive. NASA’s last call for astronauts in 2024 drew over 8,000 applicants, from which only 10 candidates were selected in September 2025. The new class will be the 25th in NASA’s history since the original Mercury Seven in 1959. Since the 1960s, NASA has selected 370 people to train as astronaut candidates. Candidates must also be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience.
LIVE: @NASAAdmin and agency leaders are sharing our latest updates on the Moon Base, humanity's first lunar outpost. https://t.co/UN6JuBhFcr
Past candidates selected range from Kathryn Sullivan (1978) who was 26 when selected to Barbara Morgan who was 46 when she joined the astronaut corps in 1988 as a part of the teacher in space program. The average age is 34.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and hold a master’s degree in a STEM field, such as engineering, biological science, physical science, or computer science. A notable change this year is that nursing degrees now qualify, as Master's-level nursing degrees now meet the minimum educational requirement, whereas nursing degrees were previously excluded,
according to NASA spokesperson Anna Schneider.
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Candidates must also have at least three years of related professional experience after completing their degree. Alternatively, NASA will accept those who have completed two years toward a doctoral degree in STEM, are medical doctors, or have graduated from a nationally recognized test pilot school program by July 2027.
Flying experience is not a requirement, but it could be beneficial to have. Pilots have specific flight hour requirements.
All candidates must pass NASA’s long-duration flight physical and demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. The starting salary for the position is $164,395 per year.
MYTH: All astronauts have perfect vision. FACT: It’s OK if you don’t have 20/20 vision.
Those selected will begin training in early 2028, a process that takes nearly two years. The training is rigorous and includes survival skills, planetary geology, spacecraft systems, and, for non-pilots, flight training.
The window is open. The mission is waiting. And the only thing missing from the greatest adventure humanity has ever embarked upon is you.
Matt Anderson, NASA Deputy Administrator
NASA expects to make its final selection in late 2027. The agency last opened applications in 2024, and the selected class is now completing its training. The 24th group of astronauts was selected from an initial pool of more than 8,000 applications. Aspiring astronauts can apply through NASA’s official portal.
Earlier coverage: NASA recruits new astronauts for lunar base and Mars missions
