Buzz Aldrin on the moon in front of the US flag

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

NASA Opens Applications for New Moon Astronauts

scienceNov 13, 2026·366 words·3 min read

NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has opened applications for a new class of astronauts, searching for people who could one day walk on the Moon and live and work at a planned lunar base. The recruitment drive, announced at an air show at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is part of the agency's Artemis program. Applications must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 3 December.

The US wants to send people back to the Moon in 2028. In April, four astronauts flew around the Moon on the Artemis II mission. They went farther from Earth than any people before. The job is very hard to get. In 2024, more than 8,000 people applied, but NASA chose only 10. People who apply must be US citizens. They need a master's degree in science, maths or engineering, or medical or pilot training. They also need three years of work experience.

Candidates must pass health tests and a swimming test. They must be ready to spend a year or more in space, far away from their families. The best people will have interviews in Houston, and NASA hopes to choose the new astronauts in late 2027. Then they will train for two years. They will learn to fly jets and do spacewalks, which means working outside a spacecraft in space.

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