Kubestronaut & Golden Kubestronaut Programs

Individuals who have successfully passed every CNCF Kubernetes certification – CKA, CKAD, CKS, KCNA, KCSA – will receive the title of Kubestronaut, as well as these additional benefits:

• An exclusive Kubestronaut jacket to show off your elite status
• A Credly badge to showcase your expertise
• Access to the dedicated/private Kubestronaut Slack channel and mailing list
• Five coupons for 50%-off certifications each year, for yourself or to share
• 20%-off three CNCF events (KubeCon or KubeDays) a year

Individuals who have successfully passed every CNCF certification (currently CKA, CKAD, CKS, KCNA, KCSA, PCA, ICA, CCA, CAPA, CGOA, CBA, OTCA, KCA, CNPA, CNPE) and LFCS, will receive the title of Golden Kubestronaut for life, as well as these additional benefits:

• An exclusive backpack with the Golden Kubestronaut logo
• A special Golden Kubestronaut beanie
• THRIVE-ONE subscription (as long as the Kubestronaut title is maintained)
• One free ticket per year to any Kubernetes Community Days (KCD)
• One 50%-off KubeCon registration per year
• A 60% discount voucher for each new CNCF certification
• A distinguished Golden representation on the Kubestronaut website

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 – the following certifications are now required for achieving Golden Kubestronaut status:

• Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate (CNPA) – effective October 15, 2025.
• Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer (CNPE) – effective March 1st, 2026.

NOTE: As new CNCF certifications are introduced, they will 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.