CBS News reported that for the first time in over four years, NASA is accepting applications for its next crop of astronauts, the agency announced Monday.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and meet one of the stringent education requirements, which include having either a master's degree in a STEM field, a medical degree, or a combination of a STEM degree and test pilot training.
Potential astronauts must also have at least two years of related professional experience - or have completed at least 1,000 hours of "pilot-in-command time" in jet aircraft. Then they still have to pass NASA's long-duration spaceflight physical.
Applicants are required to complete an online assessment that can take up to two hours to finish and the deadline to apply is March 31.
The opportunity comes as NASA moves ahead with plans to send the first woman and next man to the moon by 2024 with its Artemis program.
The final astronaut candidates are expected to be selected by the middle of next year and would then begin training as the next class of Artemis Generation astronauts, according to NASA.
NASA has chosen 350 people to train as astronaut candidates since the 1960's and currently has 48 astronauts in its "active astronaut corps."
Today’s the day.
— NASA (@NASA) March 2, 2020
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to #BeAnAstronaut? Applications to join the newest class of #Artemis explorers have just opened today. Get yours in before the deadline of March 31: https://t.co/2Nby0lqcj7 pic.twitter.com/ceBBVgB2A2
