NASA on Monday announced that they are hiring two astronauts, one man and one woman to travel to the moon within the next three years to explore the satellite's south pole. NASA said that the trip is part of the agency's next big mission to establish "sustainable exploration" with "commercial and international partners" on the satellite by 2028. They are accepting applications for the next class of Artemis Generation astronauts. NASA's Pictures of India by Night And Day Taken 48 Years Apart Shows Stark Contrast (See Photo)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a news release said, "America is closer than any other time in history since the Apollo program to returning astronauts to the Moon. We will send the first woman and next man to the lunar South Pole by 2024, and we need more astronauts to follow suit on the moon, and then Mars." You can apply for the program by clicking here.

They have started accepting applications for the first time in more than four years. For those planning to apply for the post, you have time until March 31. The final candidates will be selected in mid-2021 and thereafter the training will begin. In 2015, NASA received 18,300 applications for new astronauts. NASA Captures Massive Thermonuclear Explosion From Outer Space.

Steve Koerner, NASA's director of flight operations and chair of the astronaut selection board, said in a news release said, "Becoming an astronaut is no easy task, because being an astronaut is no easy task. Those who apply will likely be competing against thousands who have dreamed of and worked toward going to space for as long as they can remember. But somewhere among those applicants are our next astronauts, and we look forward to meeting you."

Since the 1960s, 350 people have trained as astronaut candidates under NASA. Currently, there are 48 astronauts in the active astronaut corps, but they need more for its exploration efforts. The agency said that the new astronauts could live and work aboard the International Space Station, and participate in experiments which prepare for more distant space exploration.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 03, 2020 11:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).