The American space agency announced Wednesday that it has received more than 12,000 applications for its next generation of astronauts. The selection will be announced in the summer of 2021 and there will probably be no more than ten places.
"The next batch of Artemis generation astronauts will help us explore new areas of the Moon and take us to the Red Planet," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. Artemis is the name of the American return to the moon program.
First manned flight in 2024
In 2017, at the time of the last recruitment, 12 candidates out of 18,300 had been retained, and 11 had gone after the long training, which ended only in January 2020. The candidates had to be American and have a master's degree in a scientific discipline , technological, engineering or mathematics, or be a doctor or pilot.
NASA today has 48 active astronauts. Future recruits will be assigned to stays on the International Space Station (ISS) and possibly trips to the Moon if the Artémis program materializes. The first manned mission to the Moon is scheduled to take place in 2024. Others should take place afterwards, but funding is not yet in place to ensure this tight schedule.
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