NASA Seeks Astronauts to Expand Artemis Moon Program
WHO:
The Guardian - NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said selected astronauts 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.”
The Guardian - Scott Tingle is NASA’s chief astronaut and chair of the Astronaut Selection Board at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The Guardian - NASA has selected 370 people to train as astronaut candidates since the 1960s.
Phys.org - NASA is seeking applicants for a new astronaut class to support its Artemis program.
ABC News - NASA is seeking applicants for a new astronaut class; the agency has 32 active astronauts.
ABC News - Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik said, “We have far more work than we have astronauts.”
ABC News - Artemis III astronaut Frank Rubio holds the U.S. record for 371 consecutive days in space.
ABC News - Applicants must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience.
ABC News - NASA’s previous astronaut selection drew more than 8,000 applicants; 10 were selected in September 2025.
ABC News - This is NASA’s 25th astronaut class; the original Mercury Seven were selected in 1959.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Astronaut applicants must have a master’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; medical qualifications; pilot training; or two years’ work on a relevant doctoral program. They must also have three years of related professional experience.
The Guardian - Pilot applicants must have 750 hours as pilot-in-command of a high-performance jet, 1,500 total flight hours in another fixed-wing aircraft, or 1,000 total flight hours in a rotary-wing aircraft.
NBC News - The Artemis II crew’s lunar flyaround kicked off NASA’s lunar campaign.
NASA - The next astronaut class will join as the United States returns to the Moon, builds the Moon Base, and prepares for the first crewed missions to Mars.
Phys.org - NASA is accepting applications for astronauts who would help expand the Artemis program and support plans for a permanent lunar base.
ABC News - NASA announced the astronaut recruitment during a Kennedy Space Center air show promoting lunar exploration and advances in aviation and technology.
ABC News - NASA expects to make its final astronaut selections by late 2027; new candidates are expected to begin training by early 2028.
ABC News - NASA intends to return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028, after an absence of more than half a century.
ABC News - Bresnik and three crewmates are scheduled to practice docking their capsule with lunar landers built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.
ABC News - That mission will remain close to Earth and will not include a lunar flyby; it is a dress rehearsal for Artemis IV, which is intended to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole.
ABC News - NASA’s lunar-base plans include launching more rovers, robots, structures, and power grids.
ABC News - Rubio said, “It's important for them to realize most of that work is not going to the moon, right? That will be about 1% of your experience. What you're doing is contributing to the mission of going to the moon.”
WHERE:
ABC News - NASA made the recruitment announcement at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
ABC News - Artemis IV is intended to land astronauts near the lunar south pole.
WHEN:
The Guardian - Applicants must submit their applications by 11.59pm ET on Thursday, 3 December.
NBC News - The Artemis II crew’s lunar flyaround occurred in April.
ABC News - Applicants have until Dec. 3 to submit applications.
ABC News - NASA expects new candidates to begin two years of mandatory training by early 2028; becoming an astronaut may require several additional years before a spaceflight.
ABC News - The crewed docking-practice mission is planned for next summer, followed by the Artemis IV mission the following year.
WHY:
ABC News - NASA needs more recruits to expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as possible.
(UPDATED November 8, 2026 18:58 UTC)
NASA is recruiting astronauts to support Artemis, lunar bases, and future Mars missions. The agency has 32 active astronauts and expects selections by late 2027. Applications close December 3, with training starting in early 2028.
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(UPDATED November 8, 2026 15:58 UTC)
NASA is recruiting astronauts for Artemis and future lunar missions. Applicants need U.S. citizenship and professional experience. Applications close December 3; training begins by early 2028.
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(UPDATED November 8, 2026 13:56 UTC)
NASA is recruiting astronauts to support Artemis, lunar-base plans, and future Mars missions. Applicants need college degrees and professional experience, and must be U.S. citizens. Training for selected candidates is expected to begin in early 2028.
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(UPDATED November 8, 2026 12:58 UTC)
NASA is recruiting a new astronaut class to support Artemis and future lunar exploration. Applicants have until Dec. 3, with selections expected by late 2027. New astronauts should begin training by early 2028, ahead of a planned lunar return.