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NASA Invites U.S. Citizens to Apply for Moon Missions
· Confirmed
In Short: NASA’s Artemis II mission recently sent a crew of four astronauts around the moon in April, setting a record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth.
NASA is recruiting its next class of astronauts, inviting U.S. Citizens to apply by midnight ET on December 3, 2026, for the chance to live and work on the moon. The space agency is seeking individuals who can contribute to missions involving the moon and preparations for human exploration of Mars.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized the importance of the new recruits, stating, '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.'
The agency is currently training 10 astronaut candidates selected from over 8,000 applications in 2025. NASA has 32 active astronauts in its corps, and the selected applicants will join their ranks to study spacewalking, lunar geology, operations of high-performance aircraft, and more.
NASA’s Artemis II mission recently sent a crew of four astronauts around the moon in April, setting a record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth. The next group of astronauts will help write the next chapter of human spaceflight, contributing to future Moon missions and living at a lunar base.
NASA is also seeking proposals for sustainable lunar lander development and demonstration as it works toward regular cycles of moon landings. The agency is accepting applications for those interested in becoming astronauts, with selected candidates potentially preparing for future Moon missions and living at a lunar base.
NASA’s live broadcast showed the capsule making a safe landing, marking the end of the crew’s extended stay in orbit. The space agency is recruiting its next class of space travelers for missions to low-Earth orbit and the moon.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk have completed a 7-hour, 11-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station, marking another important step in a major upgrade to the orbiting laboratory's power system.
What this adds
NASA's Artemis II mission recently sent a crew of four astronauts around the moon in April, setting a record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth.
Background
NASA is accepting applications for a new astronaut class to help grow its Artemis program, aiming to return humans to the lunar surface.
What's confirmed
- "Those missions will demand technical excellence, sound judgment, teamwork and courage." Here are the qualifications NASA is looking for in an astronaut.
- "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," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement.
- NASA's job application portal states that applicants must fit into one of the following four educational profiles: Applicants must also select a discipline they best qualify for based on their work experience, with NASA requiring three years of professional experience after completing their degree program or pilot training.
What's still developing
- WASHINGTON — NASA’s latest call for proposals to conduct private astronaut missions to the International Space Station opens the door to having those missions commanded by someone other than a former NASA astronaut.
- NASA and SpaceX are nearing launch of Crew-13, a four-person mission that could reach the International Space Station in less than nine hours.
- During the planned 14-day mission, crews and flight controllers will practice the rendezvous, docking, habitation, and operational procedures that will be essential when Artemis astronauts begin landing near the Moon’s South Pole in 2028.
- Lola and Ruby say they're lucky to be able to have such a close connection with NASA as a school Speaking to a real astronaut was "very cool" according to Ruby, 10, "because no other schools in Wales will get that experience".
- According to Space.com, NASA outlined the updated development schedules during an October 5 presentation at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye.
- NASA says a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the company’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, carrying more than 6,300 pounds of supplies and hardware.
- The U.S. space agency announced the recruitment on Saturday, November 7.
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- NASA official Randy Bresnik urged candidates to apply quickly, saying that by then "we're going to have people on the moon — so don't delay."