NASA is looking for astronauts to live and work on the Moon
NASA is actively recruiting new astronauts for future lunar missions, including living and working on a moon base. The agency has updated its requirements to include nursing degrees as a valid STEM qualification for applicants.
Why it matters
Expanding the eligibility criteria for astronauts reflects NASA's evolving needs for long-duration space exploration and lunar colonization.
If you have dreams of going to the moon, you now have a chance. NASA is accepting applications for those interested in becoming an astronaut.
The candidates selected to be astronauts would not only test spacecraft but would also live and work on the moon in a future moon base, said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a statement released on Saturday.
"Those missions will demand technical excellence, sound judgment, teamwork, and courage," the statement said. "NASA's astronaut corps has always called on remarkable Americans willing to take on extraordinary challenges in service to the nation."
There are currently 32 active astronauts in NASA's astronaut corps. Since NASA missions began in the 1960s, the agency has selected 370 people to train as astronauts, according to the agency.
The applicant process is extremely competitive. Out of more than 8,000 applicants for NASA's last astronaut class, only 10 candidates were selected.
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9 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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