Astronauts Wanted: NASA Opens Applications for Moon Missions
NASA has opened applications for its 25th class of astronauts, with training extending to 2028, as part of preparations for the Artemis 3 mission and docking with SpaceX and Blue Origin vehicles.
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
With this phrase, Randy Bresnik, commander of the Artemis 3 mission, summarized NASA’s need for fresh blood. Last Saturday, the US agency announced during an airshow at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center that it is opening applications for its 25th astronaut class.
Applications will remain open until December 3, 2026, with the agency aiming to complete selections by the end of 2027 and begin training in early 2028.
Applicants must hold US citizenship, a university degree, and professional experience. They also need considerable patience, as basic training takes two years, and several years may pass before their first mission.
NASA currently has only 32 active astronauts. In its previous recruitment cycle, it received more than 8,000 applications and selected 10 in September 2025.
The announcement follows the April flight of the Artemis 2 crew around the Moon. The Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for summer 2027, is training in Earth orbit to dock with landing vehicles from SpaceX and Blue Origin, paving the way for landing two astronauts near the Moon’s South Pole during Artemis 4.
NASA’s first selected class was in 1959, known as the “Mercury Seven.”
