NASA is accepting applications for its next generation of astronauts, seeking qualified candidates to train for future space missions as the United States expands its ambitions for human exploration beyond Earth's orbit. The new astronaut class will play a role in upcoming lunar missions and help prepare the agency for its longer-term goal of sending humans to Mars.

Selected candidates will receive an annual salary starting at approximately $164,000 and undergo extensive training in several areas of spaceflight, including lunar operations, spacewalks, and robotics. The training is designed to prepare astronauts for the technical challenges of working in space and carrying out increasingly complex missions on the Moon and beyond.

Some members of the incoming class could eventually live and work at a proposed Moon base as NASA pursues plans for a sustained human presence on the lunar surface. Establishing a long-term foothold on the Moon would represent a significant step in expanding human exploration and developing the experience and capabilities needed for future deep-space missions.

NASA also expects the new astronauts to contribute to preparations for the first crewed missions to Mars. The agency has described the recruitment effort as part of its broader exploration strategy, with the next generation of astronauts expected to help lay the groundwork for sending humans to the Red Planet.