NASA is recruiting its next class of astronauts, offering qualified candidates the chance to earn about $164,000 annually while preparing for future missions to the moon and Mars.
The space agency announced Nov. 7 that applications are open through Dec. 3 as it expands its Artemis program and works toward establishing a sustained human presence on the moon, according to NASA.
The positions offer an estimated annual salary of $164,395, and selected candidates could participate in lunar exploration, work at a future moon base, and help develop technology for eventual crewed missions to Mars, Business Insider
reports.Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a master’s degree in a qualifying science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field. Certain medical degrees, doctoral coursework, and test pilot training may also satisfy the educational requirements.
Candidates must have at least three years of relevant professional experience or meet specific flight experience requirements. Applicants must also pass NASA’s long-duration astronaut physical and demonstrate strong leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.
Competition for the positions is expected to be intense. NASA received more than 8,000 applications during its 2024 recruitment cycle but selected just 10 astronaut candidates in 2025. The agency currently has 32 active astronauts.
According to the outlet, the selection process includes extensive medical, psychological, and security screenings. Candidates must also be prepared for demanding schedules, hazardous working conditions, and extended periods away from home.
Those selected will undergo approximately two years of training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, learning skills such as spacewalking, spacecraft operations, and lunar geology.
The recruitment comes as NASA advances its plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.
NASA expects to announce its next astronaut class in late 2027, with training beginning in 2028.
Interested candidates can review the qualifications and submit applications through NASA’s astronaut recruitment website by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 3.
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