Thousands Apply to Join NASA's Artemis Generation, #BeAnAstronaut

More than 12,000 people have applied to join NASA's next class of astronauts, demonstrating strong national interest to take part in America's plans to explore the Moon and take humanity's next giant leap – human missions to Mars.

Applications were received from every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories. However, the process is just beginning for NASA's Astronaut Selection Board, which will assess the applicants' qualifications and invite the most qualified candidates to the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston for interviews and medical tests before making a final selection. NASA expects to introduce the new astronaut candidates in the summer of 2021.

"We've entered a bold new era of space exploration with the Artemis program, and we are thrilled to see so many incredible Americans apply to join us," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "The next class of Artemis Generation astronauts will help us explore more of the Moon than ever before and lead us to the Red Planet."

The application for the newest class of astronauts opened March 2 and closed March 31. The number of people who applied to be an astronaut represents the second-highest number of applications NASA has ever received, surpassed only by the record of 18,300 set by the most recent class of astronauts who graduated in January.

For this round of applications, NASA increased the education requirement for applicants from a bachelor's degree to a master's degree in a science, technology, math, or engineering field. In addition, the application period was shortened from two months to one.

"We're able to build such a strong astronaut corps at NASA because we have such a strong pool of applicants to choose from," said Anne Roemer, manager of the Astronaut Selection Board and director of human resources at Johnson. "It's always amazing to see the diversity of education, experience and skills that are represented in our applicants. We are excited to start reviewing astronaut applications to identify the next class of astronaut candidates."

Since the 1960s, NASA has selected 350 people to train as astronaut candidates for its increasingly challenging missions to explore space. With 48 astronauts in the active astronaut corps, more will be needed to serve as crew aboard spacecraft bound for multiple destinations and propel exploration forward as part of Artemis missions and beyond.

Once selected, the astronaut candidates will go through approximately two years of initial skills training, such as spacewalking, robotics, and spacecraft systems, as well as expeditionary behavior skills, such as leadership, followership, and teamwork. After completing training, the new astronauts could launch on American rockets and spacecraft -- developed for NASA's Commercial Crew Program -- to live and work aboard the International Space Station, 250 miles above Earth. There they will take part in experiments that benefit life at home and prepare us for the Moon and Mars.

This new class also may launch aboard NASA's powerful new Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions to the Moon. Beginning in 2024, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface and will establish sustainable lunar exploration by 2028. Gaining insights from new experiences on and around the Moon will prepare NASA to send the first humans to Mars in the 2030s.

NASA delays new astronaut selection due to coronavirus constraints

NASA has delayed the selection of its next astronaut class, citing constraints related to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus.

The space agency revised its astronaut selection timeline on Monday (Aug. 24), and notified the more than 12,000 people who applied in March. NASA had been planning to reveal the members of its 23rd group of astronaut candidates in June 2021. The selection has now been postponed by four to five months, according to the agency's website.

NASA to Announce America's Next Class of Astronaut Candidates

After evaluating more than 12,000 applications, NASA will introduce its 2021 astronaut candidates at 12:30 p.m. EST Monday, Dec. 6, from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. After completing training, these individuals could be eligible for a variety of flight assignments including missions on and around the Moon under Artemis.

The astronaut candidates will join NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Johnson Center Director Vanessa Wyche, and Flight Operations Director Norm Knight on stage at the event, which will air live on NASA TV, the agency's website, and the NASA app.

Following graduation, which requires about two years of training, astronaut candidates could receive assignments for missions performing research aboard the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.

The astronaut candidates will report to NASA Johnson in January to begin their training in spacecraft systems, spacewalking skills, teamwork, and other necessary skills.

These women and men were selected after completing their applications in March 2020 for a chance to join NASA's astronaut corps and take part in America's human spaceflight program.

Requirements to apply included U.S. citizenship, a master's degree from an accredited institution in a STEM field that emphasized science, technology, engineering, or math, and at least three years of related experience, or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. The candidates also had to pass the NASA long-duration flight astronaut physical.

We'll introduce our 2021 astronaut candidates live at a ceremony at Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at 12:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT) Monday, Dec. 6.

The astronaut candidates will join NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Johnson Center Director Vanessa Wyche, and Flight Operations Director Norm Knight on stage at the event.

NASA names 10 new astronaut candidates for future space station, moon missions

NASA revealed the members of its new astronaut candidate class who may someday help establish a sustainable presence on the moon.

The four women and six men named on Monday (Dec. 6) comprise the U.S. space agency's 23rd group of astronaut candidates since the Mercury 7 were chosen in 1959 and the first to be recruited since the start of NASA's Artemis moon program. The new class of 10 was narrowed from a pool of more than 12,000 applicants after an extended recruitment process that began in March 2020 and was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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NASA's new astronaut candidates report to Houston to begin training

One month after being announced to the world, NASA's ten new astronaut candidates are reporting to work to begin two years of training.

The four women and six men, who were chosen from a pool of more than 12,000 applicants, are starting their new careers as future space station crew members and possible moonwalkers on Monday (Jan. 10). They are NASA's 23rd class of trainees and the 22nd to based at Johnson Space Center in Houston since 1962.

Today we officially welcomed 10 new explorers to the NASA family! Our 2021 astronaut candidates have reported for duty at NASA Johnson Space Center and were sworn in this morning, kicking off their two-year training.

This new astronaut candidate class is NASA's 23rd since 1959.

Call them 'The Flies': NASA's latest class of astronaut candidates gets their nickname

First came the "Maggots." Then the less specific "Bugs." Now, the latest infestation to take over NASA's Astronaut Office has been identified.

Welcome "The Flies."

"It's official, our class has been named 'The Flies'!" Marcos Berríos, a member of NASA's latest group of astronaut candidates, wrote on Instagram.

New Artemis Generation Astronauts to Graduate

NASA will honor the next generation of Artemis astronaut candidates to graduate at 10:30 a.m. EST Tuesday, March 5, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

After completing more than two years of basic training, these candidates will earn their wings and become eligible for spaceflight, including assignments to the International Space Station, future commercial destinations, missions to the Moon, and eventually, missions to Mars.

The 2021 class includes 10 NASA candidates, as well as two United Arab Emirates (UAE) candidates from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center who have been training alongside the NASA candidates.

After the ceremony, at 11:45 a.m., NASA will host a Q&A session with students and media in the audience. Those following the session on social media may ask questions using #AskNASA.

Both the ceremony and Q&A session will stream live on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website.

It's graduation day for NASA's newest astronauts!

Join us on Tuesday, March 5, as we honor our latest astronaut candidates on the completion of their training. Ten NASA candidates and two candidates from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will earn their wings in a ceremony at NASA's Johnson Space Center, becoming eligible for future assignments to the International Space Station, the Moon — and, eventually, missions to Mars.

After the graduation ceremony, the astronauts will take questions from media and the public starting at 11:45 a.m. EST (1645 UTC).

NASA graduates new astronaut class as it begins recruiting for more

"The Flies" are ready to fly, so NASA is again in need of some new flyboys (and gals).

On the same day that the space agency welcomed its latest class of astronauts, nicknamed "The Flies," into its corps, NASA announced it was again accepting applications for its next group of candidates for flights to the International Space Station, the moon and, eventually, missions to Mars.