NASA: applications open until December 3 for a new astronaut class to train for the Moon and Mars

NASA opened applications for its new astronaut class on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Candidates have until Thursday, December 3, 11:59 pm US Eastern time, that is until 6:59 am on Friday, December 4 Greek time. As the agency announced, the new astronauts will train to work on the surface of the Moon, to live and work beyond Earth and to lay the foundations for the first crewed missions to Mars, as the United States returns to the Moon and builds the Moon Base.

Who can apply

The application is open only to US citizens, and NASA’s FAQ clarifies that dual nationals are accepted. A master’s degree in a STEM field (engineering, biological sciences, physical sciences or computer science) from an accredited institution is required, plus at least three years of relevant professional experience after obtaining the degree. The master’s can be replaced by at least two years of doctoral studies in a relevant technical field, where mathematics also counts, a completed degree in medicine or osteopathic medicine, physician assistant, advanced or family nurse practitioner or another related medical degree, or attendance at a recognised Test Pilot School, provided it is completed by July 2027. If Test Pilot School is the only advanced qualification, an additional STEM bachelor’s degree is needed.

For pilots, the three years of experience can be covered by flight hours: 750 hours as pilot-in-command in a high-performance jet aircraft, or 1,500 hours in total (750 as pilot-in-command) in other fixed-wing aircraft, or 1,000 hours (300 as pilot-in-command) in a helicopter. Physicians can count their residency, if completed by July 2027. Flight experience is not mandatory and there is no age limit. All candidates must pass NASA’s long-duration spaceflight medical examination, for which the agency makes no exceptions, and demonstrate leadership, teamwork and communication skills.

Pay, selection and training

As for pay, the USAJOBS announcement (number NASA-13093568-27-AS) states a salary of $164,395 a year, approximate based on the 2026 pay scales, at grade AD 00 and based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Hiring is on a 30-month fixed-term contract and, after successful completion of training, permanent assignment. Active-duty military personnel apply on USAJOBS, also following their service’s procedure. If selected, they are detailed to Johnson and remain on active duty for pay, benefits and leave.

The process starts with a résumé, copies of degrees and an online questionnaire, while candidates also take digital USA Hire assessments, for which NASA advises setting aside at least 2.5 hours, so early submission pays. The Astronaut Selection Board will review applications from December 2026 to April 2027. In spring 2027 a small group will be invited to interviews at Johnson and, as usual, about half will be invited back for final interviews in the summer. The new class will be announced in autumn 2027 and will report for duty at Johnson in winter 2027–2028.

Training lasts about two years and includes spacewalks, operating the International Space Station, flights in T-38 jets and robotic arm handling, as well as lunar geology. The announcement warns that those selected must be willing to take missions of 12 months or more, while NASA does not guarantee a flight assignment.

“The people we select could walk on the Moon, live and work at the lunar base,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. The chief of the astronaut office and chair of the selection board, Scott Tingle, said that for applicants the astronaut job “is more than a professional opportunity” and an “opportunity to join a tradition of explorers.” The previous call was in 2024: over 8,000 applications were filed then and 10 candidates were selected, announced on September 22, 2025, who are now completing almost two years of training. Since the 1960s NASA has selected 370 astronaut candidates and today has 32 active.

For Greeks, it is of interest that NASA selects only American citizens, while foreign astronauts come from their own space agencies. The first Greek astronaut to travel to the station, in summer 2027, Adrianos Golemis of ESA, is an astronaut of the European agency. The new class will join a programme already preparing the return to the Moon, with the testing of lunar suits on Artemis III and the 2028 landing, as we reported in NASA: two options for the SLS upper stage and a lighter sortie suit.