NASA opens astronaut selection to live at the future U.S. base on the Moon
Applications for U.S. citizens run until December 3, and the final selection is expected at the end of 2027; the agency sees the base as preparation for missions to Mars.
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NASA on Saturday (7th) opened a recruitment process for astronauts who may live at the base the United States plans to build on the Moon, as preparation for future crewed missions to Mars, DW reported. The announcement was made during the MAX POWER aerospace exhibition at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
According to the U.S. space agency, the new generation will be trained to operate on the lunar surface and to live and work off Earth. In a statement, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said those selected could walk on the Moon, work at the lunar base and help develop the systems that will one day carry crews to Mars.
Applications, open to U.S. citizens on NASA's website, run until December 3. The final selection is expected at the end of 2027, when training will begin. Requirements include U.S. citizenship and a graduate degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics; there are additional requirements for those who want to be pilots or space physicians.
The previous recruitment took place in 2024, when the agency chose 10 candidates from more than 8,000 applicants; they are completing about two years of training. NASA currently has 32 active astronauts.
The agency plans to send crews on missions of increasing difficulty near the lunar south pole. The effort is part of the Artemis program, which in April took the first crew to lunar orbit in more than 50 years and aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon's surface.