NASA Openings Offer Chance to Live and Work on the Moon

NASA is now accepting applications for new astronaut recruits to help return humans to the moon. Selected candidates will test spacecraft and live and work in a future moon base.

Requirements

Applicants must be United States citizens and hold a master's degree in a STEM field such as engineering or math. In a recent change, master's-level nursing degrees now qualify, while nursing degrees were previously excluded. NASA also requires a minimum of three years of related professional experience after finishing a degree. Alternatively, the agency will consider individuals in a STEM PhD program, doctors, or pilots with extensive flight experience. There is no official age limit for applicants.

Training and Salary

Chosen candidates will complete two years of training to prepare for difficult missions, including landings near the moon's South Pole. The starting salary is 164,395 dollars. Applications will be accepted through December 3. The applicant pool is extremely competitive, as NASA selected only 10 candidates out of more than 8,000 applicants for its last astronaut class. The agency currently has 32 active astronauts and has selected 370 people to train as astronauts since missions began in the 1960s.

Context

NASA is working toward returning humans to the moon for the first time since 1972, with agency plans targeting a lunar landing around 2028 and Administrator Jared Isaacman expressing confidence in a 2027 launch for the Artemis III mission. To meet these goals, the space agency relies on private companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX to build necessary spacecraft and systems.