NASA is accepting applications from U.S. citizens for astronaut candidate positions through midnight Eastern on Dec. 3, according to CBS News, which pointed to a USAJOBS listing that describes few vacancies, annual pay of $164,395, and a duty station at Johnson Space Center in Houston^1,2.

The federal announcement says selectees will be designated astronaut candidates and complete a training and evaluation period of about two years². NASA said applicants may choose only one discipline group².

Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement quoted by CBS News, "Those missions will demand technical excellence, sound judgment, teamwork and courage"¹.

CBS News tied the hiring round to U.S. plans for a moon base and crewed lunar surface missions, and it reported that Artemis II sent four astronauts around the moon in April¹. WhatsNewPaper did not independently confirm that flight date from NASA in this filing.

Applicants must meet both a basic education requirement and specialized experience, the USAJOBS posting says². Qualifying education includes a master's in an approved engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics field; at least two academic years of doctoral coursework in those fields; a qualifying medical degree; or completion or enrollment in a recognized test pilot school, with completion by July 2027^1,2.

A bachelor's degree alone does not qualify, NASA said, and some related fields such as engineering technology, most psychology degrees, exercise physiology, social sciences and aviation management are not qualifying². All STEM-related transcripts must be submitted².

Except for the pilot track, NASA generally requires three years of progressively responsible professional experience after the qualifying degree^1,2. Pilot applicants must meet one of three flight-hour thresholds, not counting initial training or unmanned aircraft time: 750 hours as pilot in command of a high-performance jet; 1,500 hours in other fixed-wing aircraft including 750 in command; or 1,000 rotary-wing hours including 300 in command^1,2.

The flight-test track requires test pilot school completion or enrollment by July 2027 plus three years of related flight-test experience². Medical, biological and medical science, physical science, engineering and operations tracks each require three years of related work; residencies can count for the medical track^1,2. Operations experience must be in high-consequence settings where errors carry irreversible physical risk, NASA said^1,2.

Candidates must pass medical and psychiatric exams, a background investigation and drug screening, CBS News reported, citing vision that can be corrected to 20/20 in each eye and a swimming test¹. NASA said selectees must pass and maintain mandatory screening standards².

CBS News said applicants must be willing to perform moderate to arduous physical work, work in dangerous situations, live in confined or remote settings, and deploy to space for 12 months or longer¹. NASA said the selection process is estimated to take about one year, that it anticipates announcing a new class in the fall of 2027, and that selected candidates are expected to report to Johnson Space Center in the winter of 2027/8². How many people NASA will select is not stated as a number in the materials reviewed^1,2.