NASA opens applications for new astronaut class to support Artemis expansion

NASA announced on Saturday at a Kennedy Space Center air show that it is accepting applications for a new astronaut class to help grow the Artemis program. The agency, which currently has 32 active astronauts, seeks additional personnel to accelerate its plans beyond low-Earth orbit. Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a college degree and professional experience, and they have until Dec. 3 to submit their materials. NASA expects to make its final selections by late 2027, with training slated to begin in early 2028, the same year the agency aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface.

Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told the Associated Press, "We have far more work than we have astronauts," and urged prospective candidates, "By then we're going to have people on the moon — so don't delay." He and his three crewmates will launch into orbit next summer for a docking rehearsal with lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin, serving as a dress rehearsal for Artemis IV, which plans to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole.

Artemis III astronaut Frank Rubio noted that most of the work will not involve direct lunar travel, saying, "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." The upcoming class will be the 25th astronaut group since the Mercury Seven in 1959.