Key facts
- NASA opened applications for its next astronaut candidate class, the first window since 2024.
- Applicants need US citizenship, a Master's degree in a STEM field or equivalent, and three years of relevant experience.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said selectees could walk on the Moon and work at a Moon Base.
- NASA said it received more than 8,000 applications in its last search and selected 10 candidates.
- Selected candidates get two years of training and an annual salary of $164,395, per the report.
- NASA said it expects to announce its new astronaut class in late 2027.
NASA opened applications for its next astronaut candidate class on Saturday, November 7, 2026, the agency's first astronaut application window since 2024, Business Insider reported.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a press release that the people selected could walk on the Moon, live and work at a Moon Base, and help pioneer systems and operations that would ultimately carry crews to Mars. NASA said the class would support missions to the lunar South Pole and potentially to Mars.
Applicants must be US citizens with a completed Master's degree in a STEM field, or an equivalent background such as medical degrees, doctoral work or test-pilot training, and three full years of relevant work experience. Anna Schneider, a NASA public affairs specialist, said in a statement that candidates must show technical expertise, operational judgment, leadership, teamwork, communication skills and the ability to perform demanding missions safely.
NASA said it received more than 8,000 applications during its last talent search, and 10 applicants were selected. Successful applicants must pass drug tests, a background security investigation, vision testing and other medical and psychiatric exams, and must pass a water survival test and be willing to spend long stretches in hazardous and confined spaces.
Those selected get two years of training, irregular hours, an annual salary of $164,395 and no remote work, according to the report. NASA said it expects to announce its new class in late 2027.