Humanity's future in space: NASA announces recruitment for living and working on the Moon
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has begun recruiting a new generation of astronauts as part of the expansion of its Artemis program. Participants in this mission will not only set foot on the lunar surface but will also be tasked with living and working at a scientific base to be built there, as well as laying the foundation for the first crewed flights that will take humanity to Mars.
Applications will be accepted until December 3. During an airshow at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called it a "unique opportunity to join NASA's ranks and define humanity's destiny in space."
Key requirements for candidates
NASA has set very high qualification criteria for participants in the next selection phase:
Citizenship: Candidates must be U.S. citizens only;
Education level: A master's degree in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics), medical qualification, test pilot school training, or at least 2 years of experience in a relevant doctoral program;
Professional qualification: At least 3 years of professional practical work experience in a relevant field;
Flight hours for pilots: At least 750 hours of pilot-in-command time in high-performance jet aircraft, 1,500 hours in other types of aircraft, or 1,000 hours of total flight experience in helicopters.
Selection process and statistics
The NASA astronaut corps has been forming since the 1960s. The main stages of the new recruitment and historical figures are as follows:
Indicator | Figure / Deadline | Note |
Application deadline | Until December 3 | Initial stage of the competition |
Completion of final selection | End of 2027 | Winners determined and training begins |
Number of currently active astronauts | 32 | Active astronauts on NASA staff |
Total trained throughout history | 370 | Specialists selected since the 1960s |
Result of the last selection (2024–2025) | 10 accepted | Selected from over 8,000 candidates |
2028 plan and emerging obstacles
The U.S. administration aims to return humans to the lunar surface in 2028. In this massive project, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin private space companies will provide direct assistance with flight and landing vehicles.
However, the new mission is facing some technical delays:
According to The Washington Post, there is a risk that Axiom Space, the company selected as the prime contractor for producing the next generation of space suits, may not meet the deadline.
If the suits and safety systems are not fully tested by 2028, the date for the crewed flight to the Moon may be pushed back further.
Nevertheless, NASA is accelerating the work on creating the lunar base infrastructure and selecting candidates for the Mars mission according to plan.
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