NASA Opens Applications for Moon Base Astronauts

NASA is recruiting U.S. citizens to join its astronaut corps and live on a future lunar base as part of missions leading toward Mars, with applications closing at 11:59 p.m. EST Dec. 3. The agency expects final selections in late 2027 after selecting the next class from over 8,000 applicants; only ten candidates were chosen for the previous round out of more than 8,000 submissions. Candidates must hold a master's degree or equivalent experience such as a PhD program completion and possess at least three years of professional work in STEM fields including engineering, math, nursing (now accepted), medicine, aviation, or spaceflight operations.