NASA seeks astronauts to live and work on the Moon: NPR

The NASA logo is seen at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Houston.

Karen Warren/AP

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Karen Warren/AP

If you dream of going to the moon, now you have a chance. NASA is accepting applications from those who want to become an astronaut.

Candidates selected to become astronauts would not only test spacecraft, but also live and work on the Moon at a future lunar base, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement released Saturday.

“These missions will require technical excellence, good judgment, teamwork and courage,” the statement said. “The NASA Astronaut Corps has always called upon remarkable Americans, ready to take on extraordinary challenges in service to the nation.”

The NASA Astronaut Corps currently has 32 active astronauts. Since NASA missions began in the 1960s, the agency has selected 370 people for astronaut training, according to the agency.

The application process is extremely competitive. Of more than 8,000 applicants for NASA’s latest astronaut class, only 10 candidates were selected.

Although any U.S. citizen can apply and there are no official age restrictions, applicants will need to have a master’s degree in a STEM-related field like engineering or math.

In a recent change, a nursing degree is eligible.

“Nursing degrees are now included in the STEM definition,” NASA spokesperson Anna Schneider told NPR on Sunday. “Master’s-level nursing degrees now meet minimum educational requirements, whereas nursing degrees were previously excluded.”

Additionally, NASA requires a minimum of three years of related professional experience after obtaining a degree.

In lieu of a master’s degree and professional experience, NASA will consider individuals enrolled in a doctoral program (in STEM), doctors, or pilots with extensive flight experience.

FILE – This detail from a July 20, 1969 photo made available by NASA shows astronaut Neil Armstrong reflected in the visor of Buzz Aldrin’s helmet on the surface of the moon.

Neil Armstrong/NASA via AP

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If chosen, the selected astronauts will undergo training which will last two years. NASA said astronauts would prepare for critical and difficult missions such as landing near the Moon’s South Pole.

To achieve its goal of returning humans to the Moon in 2028 – the first time since 1972 – NASA is relying on private companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX to develop systems and spacecraft.

During a November 7 press conference on the progress of the Artemis III lunar mission, Isaacman said he was “very confident” that the mission would launch in 2027.