{
  "id": 18891866,
  "title": "NASA Announces It's Looking for New Astronauts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/nasa-announces-its-looking-for-new-astronauts",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-08T08:03:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Slashdot",
    "slug": "slashdot",
    "url": "https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/11/08/0629226/nasa-announces-its-looking-for-new-astronauts"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NASA officials have announced they are currently accepting applications for a new astronaut class, according to the Associated Press. The space agency is seeking more recruits in order to allow humanity to expand its presence beyond low-Earth orbit as swiftly as possible. Currently, NASA has only 32 active astronauts. Randy Bresnik, the commander of the Artemis III mission, stated that the agency has far more work than it has astronauts. The deadline for aspiring astronauts to submit their applications is December 3rd. Training for these candidates will commence early in 2028. Bresnik and his three crewmates are scheduled to launch into orbit next summer to practice docking their capsule with lunar landers, one belonging to SpaceX and the other to Blue Origin. This mission will be focused on Earth, with no lunar flyby, and will serve as a dress rehearsal for the following year's Artemis IV mission, which aims to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole. By then, the moon will be home to a base built with rovers, robots, structures, and power grids. NASA's last call for new astronauts was two years ago, and the agency received over 8,000 applications, with 10 individuals ultimately selected in September 2025.",
  "summary": "Saturday NASA officials announced it's accepting applications for a new astronaut class, reports the Associated Press: With only 32 active astronauts, the space agency needs more recruits as it looks to expand humanity's presence beyond low-Earth orbit as quickly as possible... \"We have far more work than we have astronauts,\" Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik told The Associated Press on…",
  "key_points": [
    "NASA accepting applications for new astronaut class",
    "Artemis III mission commander Randy Bresnik confirms need",
    "Deadline for applications is December 3rd"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}