NASA Seeks Applicants for Its Next Astronaut Class
WHO:
CBS News - NASA is recruiting U.S. citizens for its next astronaut class.
CBS News - 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.”
ABC News - NASA released a recruitment video seeking the next generation of astronauts.
WHAT:
CBS News - NASA’s application portal describes the openings as “few vacancies” and lists annual pay of $164,395.
CBS News - Applicants must meet educational criteria, have specialized experience, complete at least three years of professional experience after their degree program or pilot training, and select a discipline that matches their work experience.
CBS News - Applicants must pass medical and psychiatric exams, have vision correctable to 20/20 in each eye, pass a background check and drug screening, and pass a swimming test.
CBS News - Physical requirements include moderate to arduous activities such as heavy lifting, crouching, and crawling, as well as exposure to inclement weather.
CBS News - Applicants must be willing to work in dangerous, life-threatening situations and in remote, isolated, small, or confined spaces for prolonged periods.
CBS News - Astronauts must be willing to deploy to space for 12 months or longer, accepting extreme isolation, austere living conditions, and separation from loved ones.
CBS News - NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts around the moon and set a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.
WHERE:
CBS News - Selected recruits must relocate to Houston to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
ABC News - NASA is working to create a permanent base on the moon.
WHEN:
CBS News - Applications are due before midnight ET on Dec. 3.
Space.com - NASA announced applications for the astronaut class on Saturday (Nov. 7); applications are due Dec. 3.
WHY:
CBS News - NASA is selecting astronauts as the United States plans to build a moon base and send crewed missions to the lunar surface.
ABC News - The recruitment is part of NASA’s effort to establish a permanent lunar base and potentially send humans to Mars.
HOW:
CBS News - NASA is accepting applications through its online application portal.
CBS News - NASA said the missions will demand “technical excellence, sound judgment, teamwork and courage.”
(UPDATED November 9, 2026 21:09 UTC)
NASA is recruiting U.S. citizens for its next astronaut class, preparing for future lunar missions. Applicants need specialized experience and must pass demanding medical and physical tests. Selected astronauts will train in Houston; applications are due before midnight ET on Dec. 3.
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(UPDATED November 9, 2026 20:04 UTC)
NASA is recruiting U.S. citizens for its next astronaut class, seeking future moon explorers. Selected astronauts could help build a lunar base and prepare crews for Mars. Applicants face demanding medical, physical, and experience requirements, with recruits relocating to Houston.