NASA is accepting applications for their next group of astronauts. Candidates will be trained for future trips to the moon and other locations. The closing date for submitting applications is December 3, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET, as stated by NASA in an announcement on November 7.
This recruitment is happening as NASA is expanding their Artemis program and getting ready to establish a more permanent human presence on the moon. According to NASA, this new group of astronauts will be training to explore areas outside of low Earth orbit, which could include going to the moon, as well as eventually traveling to Mars.
Applicants for positions at NASA must have American citizenship, and they should have completed an accredited graduate program in either Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM). In addition to traditional STEM programs, NASA will accept applicant’s degrees in medicine, doctoral studies, or completion of a recognized program for test-pilot schools as meeting their educational requirements.
Candidates must possess a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience post-completion of their qualifying degree. Candidates who are pilots can satisfy the experience requirement with specific flight hour requirements, while candidates who are medical professionals can apply for residency training as long as that training was completed on or before the agency’s specified date.
The selection criteria includes academic and professional credentials, as well as a candidate’s ability to successfully complete NASA’s long-duration astronaut physical examination, and exhibit qualities of leadership, collaboration and effective communication. NASA’s selection committee evaluates each applicant, then selects those who have demonstrated high levels of qualification to interview with the committee, and undergo additional testing.
Candidates who are selected will have an extensive training program. According to NASA, those candidates who apply to become an astronaut will spend approximately two years developing core competencies in areas such as; spacewalking, operating spacecraft and space station systems, flying high performance aircraft, and operating robotic equipment.
NASA’s statement highlights that the selection process doesn’t ensure that you’ll be flying right away. However, NASA’s statement does emphasize that each candidate will play a part in fulfilling the agency’s mission over time; and most of what astronauts do is done on Earth in the form of training, planning, technical assistance, and operational activities.
The agency anticipates making its ultimate choice by the end of 2027, followed immediately by the onset of training for the newly chosen class. NASA’s previous application period was in 2024. Over 8,000 applicants submitted their materials, and 10 individuals were selected during 2025.
As per NASA, the Astronaut Corps currently consists of 32 active members. The newly selected applicants will join a professional group which includes scientists, engineers, medical professionals, pilots, as well as various other specialists. Due to the increasing complexity of space missions, the agency requires a variety of technical expertise to perform flight operations and conduct exploration research.
The NASA program has several objectives, such as sending humans back to the moon, developing long-term human habitation of the moon, and utilizing lessons learned from these efforts to plan for future human exploration of Mars. All of these programs will be dependent upon many different programs, spacecraft, landers, surface systems, as well as both international and commercial partners.
The initial requirement for potential applicants is to review NASA’s existing requirements and then apply for a position via NASA’s official application site by the specified date. Due to the high level of competition for these positions, in the last round of applications, only ten individuals were chosen out of many thousands who applied.
NASA’s announcement is applicable to American citizens with the required education, work experience, and physical capabilities. This is not an international search for astronauts; therefore, non-U.S. applicants may wish to inquire about available positions within their respective national space agencies.