Nasa is accepting applications for a new astronaut class to help expand the Artemis programme and establish a permanent lunar base. Officials announced the recruitment drive on Saturday during an air show at the Kennedy Space Centre that promoted lunar exploration, aviation, and technology.
The agency currently has only 32 active astronauts and needs more recruits to expand humanity’s presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as possible. This recruitment follows a call two years ago where more than 8,000 people applied, resulting in 10 final selections in September 2025.
Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik stated on Saturday, “We have far more work than we have astronauts.” He urged potential candidates not to delay, noting that by 2028, “we’re going to have people on the moon.”
The timeline for the new recruits involves a deadline of December 3 to submit applications. Nasa expects to make its final selection by late 2027, with training beginning in early 2028. This coincides with the year Nasa intends to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century.
Bresnik and his three crewmates are scheduled to blast into orbit next summer to practice docking their capsule with two lunar landers, one from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and one from Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. This mission will stay close to Earth without a lunar fly-by to serve as a dress rehearsal for the Artemis IV mission, which aims to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole.
The lunar base will be developed as more robots, structures, power grids, and rovers are launched. Frank Rubio, who holds the US endurance record for 371 consecutive days in space, noted that patience is essential for the role. Rubio warned applicants that most of their work will not be spent on the moon, stating, “That will be about 1 per cent of your experience. What you’re doing is contributing to the mission of going to the moon.”
Applicants must be US citizens with college degrees and professional work experience. The two years of mandatory training can be gruelling, and it may take several more years after training before a candidate actually rockets into space. This will be the 25th astronaut class since the original Mercury Seven in 1959.
