NASA Opens Astronaut Hiring for Moon Missions, Deadline Dec. 3

NASA has opened applications for its next class of astronauts, and U.S. citizens have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 3, to apply. The agency said the new recruits will join as it returns to the Moon, builds what it calls the Moon Base and prepares for the first crewed missions to Mars.

NASA expects to announce its final selection in late 2027, when the chosen applicants will begin training as astronaut candidates. The agency's announcement says the newcomers will train to work on the lunar surface and to live and work beyond Earth.

How NASA's astronaut hiring has unfolded

• Since the 1960s: NASA has picked 370 people to train as astronaut candidates, according to the agency.
• 2024: NASA last opened applications. It received more than 8,000.
• 2025: From that pool, the agency selected 10 astronaut candidates. NASA says they are completing nearly two years of training.
• Dec. 3: Deadline for the new round of applications.
• July 2027: Cutoff for finishing a Test Pilot School program or a medical residency if either is used to meet the requirements.
• Late 2027: NASA expects to make its final selection of the next class.

What this means for people thinking of applying

The basic requirements are U.S. citizenship and a master's degree in a science, technology, engineering or math field. NASA lists engineering, biological science, physical science and computer science as examples. The agency also requires at least three years of related professional experience after the qualifying degree.

The master's requirement can be met in other ways, according to NASA:

• At least two years of work toward a doctoral program in a relevant technical field.
• A medical degree such as Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, Doctor of Nursing Practice or Family Nurse Practitioner, or a related degree.
• Completion of, or current enrollment in, a nationally recognized Test Pilot School program, as long as it is finished by July 2027. If that school is the applicant's only advanced technical degree, a bachelor's degree in a STEM field is also required.

Pilots can satisfy the experience requirement with flight time. NASA sets the following thresholds:

• 750 hours as pilot in command in high-performance jet aircraft.
• 1,500 total hours in other fixed-wing aircraft, including 750 as pilot in command.
• 1,000 total hours in rotary-wing aircraft, including 300 as pilot in command.

For medical doctors, residency training can count toward the experience requirement if it is completed by July 2027. All candidates must pass NASA's long-duration astronaut flight physical and show strong leadership, teamwork and communication skills.

What the job would involve

NASA currently has 32 active astronauts. Selected applicants will join them to study spacewalking, lunar geology and the operation of high-performance aircraft, among other subjects, the agency said.

The agency says its Artemis missions will send astronauts to the area near the lunar South Pole, to explore more of the Moon than before. NASA also says it intends to establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface and to build toward a first crewed mission to Mars.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the people selected “could walk on the Moon” and help develop the systems that would eventually carry crews to Mars. He said those missions will demand technical excellence, sound judgment, teamwork and courage. Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson described the application window as open and the mission as waiting.

Scott Tingle, NASA's chief astronaut and chair of the Astronaut Selection Board at Johnson Space Center in Houston, said the role is more than a career opportunity. He described it as a chance to join a legacy of explorers and to inspire future scientists and engineers.

What happens next

Applications close Dec. 3, and NASA says it will announce its final selection in late 2027. The agency has not detailed in its announcement how many candidates it plans to choose this time. The 2025 class, chosen from the previous round, is still in training.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by NASA