How to become a NASA astronaut: what it takes to join the Artemis era

NASA has opened applications for its next astronaut candidate class, with a December deadline, as the agency prepares for future lunar missions and crewed expeditions to Mars. Applicants generally need U.S. citizenship, advanced technical or medical qualifications and at least three years of professional experience; flight-hour alternatives apply to pilots. Selected candidates will train in areas including spacewalking, lunar geology and high-performance flight.