NASA Opens Astronaut Applications for Its Next Class of Explorers
Applications close December 3. Selected candidates will train for missions that could take them to the Moon and beyond.
The actual story.
NASA is accepting applications for its next astronaut class, with completed materials due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on December 3, 2026. The agency expects to make its final selections in late 2027.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and meet education, professional experience and medical requirements. The usual route includes a qualifying STEM master’s degree and at least three years of relevant professional experience. NASA also accepts specified doctoral coursework, medical qualifications and test-pilot training, with separate flight-hour requirements for pilots.
The position is based at Johnson Space Center in Houston. USAJOBS lists an approximate annual salary of $164,395 at 2026 rates, subject to future adjustments.
Selected candidates spend approximately two years learning spacecraft systems, spacewalking, robotics and other operational skills. Completing training makes them eligible for flight assignments; NASA says a mission is not guaranteed.
Competition has historically been steep. The previous application round drew more than 8,000 applicants, from whom NASA selected 10 candidates in 2025.
Space exploration needs people who can conduct research, troubleshoot equipment and make decisions together under pressure. This recruitment round offers qualified scientists, engineers, medical professionals and pilots a concrete path into that work, with a December 3 deadline to apply.
Receipts, not rumors.
- NASA — November 7 astronaut recruitment announcement
- USAJOBS — active vacancy, qualifications, salary and application
Read the original reporting: NASA
The reporting above provides context. Illustrations are editorial interpretations, not source photographs.
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