NASA has opened applications for the agency’s next astronaut class, the first open selection since 2024. The call was announced on Saturday, November 7, 2026, during the MAX POWER air show at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. U.S. citizens who want to apply have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, December 3, 2026, to submit their application materials.
The people selected will train to operate on the lunar surface, live and work beyond Earth, and take on missions that, according to NASA, will prepare a lasting human presence on the Moon and the first crewed missions to Mars. Training covers spacewalking, lunar geology, and flying high-performance aircraft, with a focus on missions near the Moon’s south pole.
“This is an extraordinary time to join NASA’s astronaut corps,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in the official release. “The people we select could walk on the Moon, live and work at the Moon Base, and help pioneer the systems and operations that will ultimately carry crews to Mars.”
To apply, candidates must be U.S. citizens and hold a master’s degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field — engineering, biological science, physical science, or computer science — from an accredited institution. The master’s requirement can also be met with at least two years of work toward a doctorate in a relevant field, a medical degree or a related qualification, or graduation from a nationally recognized Test Pilot School program. Candidates also need at least three years of related professional experience after their qualifying degree, and they must pass NASA’s long-duration astronaut flight physical.
The last open selection, in 2024, drew more than 8,000 applications. From those, 10 candidates were selected in 2025 and are now completing nearly two years of training. Since the 1960s, NASA has selected 370 people to train as astronaut candidates, and the current corps has 32 active astronauts. The new class will be the 25th since the Mercury Seven were announced in 1959.
NASA expects to make its final selection in late 2027, with training beginning in early 2028. “The window is open. The mission is waiting. And the only thing missing from the greatest adventure humanity has ever embarked upon is you,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson.
The recruitment comes as the Artemis program moves forward: Artemis II carried four astronauts around the Moon in April 2026, and NASA is working to establish a lunar base and return astronauts to the Moon’s surface — the agency’s current target is a crewed landing in 2028. The agency also recently announced contracts worth up to $10 billion for cargo deliveries to the Moon, as covered in a previous Geekiki article. Artemis II was also the subject of our coverage of the SLS rocket’s effects on the ionosphere.
Featured image: the Artemis II crew in an official NASA portrait. Image credit: NASA.
Sources: NASA official release (RELEASE26-093, November 7, 2026); applications at go.nasa.gov/3WyvlQi and more information at go.nasa.gov/astro2026. NASA also announced the opening of applications on its official X account.
Transparency: this article was produced with the help of artificial intelligence, cross-checking public posts on X and internet sources, including NASA’s official release. We recommend checking the original sources listed above to confirm the information.
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