Since its launch, the Kubestronauts program has become one of CNCF’s most vibrant community initiatives. Today, we’re thrilled to announce a major milestone—over 2,000 Kubestronaut badges earned since the beginning of the mission! Thank you to everyone who has been part of this incredible journey and helped shape the community.
2,000 Kubestronauts and Counting 🚀
What began as a fun, collaborative way to recognize cloud native learning has quickly grown into a worldwide movement. Kubestronauts now include students, platform engineers, DevOps pros, educators, and cloud enthusiasts from around the world. Even more exciting, we’re seeing a growing number of Kubestronauts getting involved locally—organizing events, sharing their stories, and helping others on their learning journey. This increasing community engagement around the globe is truly inspiring, and we couldn’t be happier to witness it!
Together, you’ve made the Kubestronaut badge a true symbol of curiosity, engagement, and commitment to the cloud native ecosystem.
The Next Step: CNPA Certification Now Required for Golden Kubestronaut
As the cloud native landscape evolves, so does the Kubestronauts journey. To reflect the growing importance of platform engineering—and in line with our vision to include all CNCF certifications—starting October 15th, earning the Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate (CNPA) will become a new requirement for achieving Golden Kubestronaut status.
Going forward, to become a Golden Kubestronaut, you’ll need to have completed all 14 CNCF certifications, the Linux Foundation Certified Sysadmin (LFCS), and now the CNPA—and as new CNCF certifications are introduced, they’ll also be added to the requirements. This ensures that the Golden Kubestronaut badge remains meaningful, up-to-date, and respected as a symbol of comprehensive achievement in the cloud native community.
If you’re already a Golden Kubestronaut, your status is yours for life! Everyone who reached this milestone before October 15th will keep their status, even without the CNPA. You’ve earned it, and your accomplishment remains permanent.
Thank You to the Community
We’re deeply grateful to every learner, contributor, and advocate who has made the Kubestronauts program a true success. Every badge earned, every local event, and every story shared strengthens our community. We look forward to seeing even more Kubestronauts—past, present, and future—reach new heights together!
Want to join the Kubestronaut community or learn more? Get all the details here.
Curious about CNPA? Discover more here.