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NASA opens applications for a new astronaut class to work on Moon missions

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets, mostly left-leaning (75%).

5 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Group of astronauts in blue flight suits posing behind large red NASA letters in a museum hall.
Image via The Washington TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

NASA is accepting applications for a new class of astronauts, its first call for candidates since 2024, Business Insider and The Washington Times report. The agency’s plans include Moon missions, a lunar base and possibly later Mars missions, according to the outlets. The New York Post reports that the job pays $164,395 a year and that the 2024 class chose 10 candidates from more than 8,000 applicants. ABC News reports that NASA has released a new recruitment video seeking space explorers.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. NASA is accepting applications for a new class of astronauts.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft3Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Business Insider, ABC News, NPR
    Right
    New York Post, The Washington Times

  2. The new class is meant to support Moon missions, a lunar base and possibly later missions to Mars.

    Reported byLeft3Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Business Insider, ABC News, NPR
    Right
    The Washington Times

  3. This is the first call for astronaut applications since 2024, according to the New York Post and Business Insider.

    Reported byLeft1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Business Insider
    Right
    New York Post

  4. The New York Post reports the job pays $164,395 a year.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

  5. The New York Post reports the 2024 class chose 10 candidates from more than 8,000 applicants.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side present reports that NASA is accepting applications for a new astronaut class tied to Moon missions and a lunar base. The left presents it as a recruiting call focused on the Moon, while the right stresses the chance to join and highlights the pay.

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left headlines present the call as a recruiting drive, asking whether readers want to be astronauts or describing NASA as recruiting, with the Moon and Mars as the destinations.

    NASA is looking for astronauts to live and work on the Moon
    NPRLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    1 outlet · 1 opinion

    Right headlines frame it as a chance for the public to join the mission, with the New York Post stressing a surprising salary and a pitch to write the next chapter of spaceflight.

    Want to fly to the moon? NASA is looking for new astronauts to help grow its Artemis program
    The Washington TimesRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right1

    boot heels of capitalism

In the outlets’ own words

  • Delegitimizing label

    boot heels of capitalismMore neutral: in an economy where many people feel their career options are limited

    The phrase casts the economy in hostile ideological terms that the job listing does not establish.

    In a world in which dreams are increasingly crushed under the boot heels of capitalism, one celestial hope may yet be attainable.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

  • the recruitment call
  • living and working on the Moon
  • first call in two years

Leaves out

  • the $164,395 salary reported by the New York Post
  • the 2024 class size and applicant count

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • Business InsiderLeft

    Want to be an astronaut? NASA is accepting applications for the first time in 2 years.

    NASA is hiring its next batch of astronauts. The space-bound humans could go to the moon, build a lunar base, or even head to Mars.

    Read at Business Insider (opens in a new tab)
  • ABC NewsLeft

    WATCH: NASA recruiting next generation of astronauts

    NASA has released a new recruitment video, looking for new space explorers as it works to create a permanent base on the moon and someday possibly launching humans to Mars.

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)
  • NPRLeft

    NASA is looking for astronauts to live and work on the Moon

    NASA needs more recruits in order to return to the moon after being gone more than half a century.

    Read at NPR (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

1 outlet · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • a chance to fly to the Moon
  • pay and career opportunity
  • growth of the Artemis program

Leaves out

  • possible later missions to Mars

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Want to fly to the moon? NASA is looking for new astronauts to help grow its Artemis program

    Want to fly to the moon and help build a permanent lunar base? NASA is accepting applications for a new astronaut class that will help grow the Artemis program.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRightOpinion

    NASA is hiring! Aspiring astronauts offered a surprising $164,000 salary to work on the Moon: ‘Write the next chapter of human spaceflight’

    NASA last opened applications in 2024, selecting 10 astronaut candidates from more than 8,000 applications.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    1 day 5 hr later

    Its first report, Nov 8, 6:36 PM EST

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    The Washington Times, Nov 7, 1:00 PM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Washington TimesRightNov 7, 1:00 PM EST
  2. NPRLeftNov 8, 6:36 PM EST
  3. ABC NewsLeftNov 8, 10:03 PM EST
  4. Business InsiderLeftNov 9, 12:58 PM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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