NASA opened applications Nov. 7 for its next astronaut class, listing annual pay of $164,395 and giving U.S. citizens until Dec. 3 to apply for roles tied to future human spaceflight missions.
The recruitment round is the agency’s first since 2024. Applications must be submitted through USAJOBS by 11:59 p.m. EST Dec. 3. The listed salary follows the 2026 federal pay schedule; NASA says it is an estimate and could change if rates rise in 2027 or 2028.
NASA’s standard education route is a master’s degree in a qualifying science, technology, engineering or mathematics field. Other accepted paths include two academic years of doctoral study, a qualifying medical degree, or a recognized test pilot school program completed by July 2027. Applicants enrolled in a recognized test pilot school program may qualify if they complete it by July 2027. If test pilot school is their only advanced technical degree, they must also have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a STEM field.
For non-pilot applicants, NASA generally requires at least three years of related professional experience. Medical residency may count toward this requirement if completed by July 2027. Pilot applicants follow flight-hour criteria instead: 750 hours as pilot-in-command in a high-performance jet; 1,500 hours in other fixed-wing aircraft, including 750 as pilot-in-command; or 1,000 hours in rotary-wing aircraft, including 300 as pilot-in-command.
Candidates must pass NASA’s long-duration astronaut physical, and the agency assesses leadership, teamwork and communication skills. NASA sets no age limit. Applicants with foreign education must document its equivalence to education from an accredited U.S. institution and provide translated STEM transcripts. The job is based at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
More than 8,000 people applied in the previous recruitment round, and NASA selected 10 candidates in 2025. The agency reported 32 active astronauts when it announced the new opening.
NASA expects to announce the next class in fall 2027, with candidates due at Johnson Space Center in winter 2027-28. The schedule may change. The candidate program lasts about two years, after which graduates enter the active astronaut corps and become eligible for spaceflight assignments. NASA says the class will support Artemis missions, plans for a sustained human presence on the Moon and future crewed missions to Mars.
