Golden Kubestronaut
Complete certification program covering all 15 CNCF and Linux Foundation certifications
15
Certifications
Required
Program Update Notice
Effective March 1, 2026, CNPE (Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer) will be added as a requirement for Golden Kubestronaut status, increasing the total to 16 certifications. Current Golden Kubestronauts retain their lifetime status.
Phase 1: Kubestronaut Foundation
Phase 2: Cloud Native Specializations
CAPA
Certified Argo Project Associate
EntryCBA
Certified Backstage Associate
EntryCCA
Cilium Certified Associate
EntryCGOA
Certified GitOps Associate
EntryCNPA
Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate
EntryICA
Istio Certified Associate
IntermediateKCA
Kyverno Certified Associate
EntryOTCA
OpenTelemetry Certified Associate
EntryPCA
Prometheus Certified Associate
EntryPhase 3: Linux Systems Expertise
Requirements
Complete all 14 CNCF certifications: CKA, CKAD, CKS, KCNA, KCSA, PCA, ICA, CCA, CAPA, CGOA, CBA, OTCA, KCA, and CNPA
Obtain the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) certification
All 15 certifications must be active and non-expired simultaneously
Benefits
Exclusive Golden Kubestronaut branded backpack
Limited edition Golden Kubestronaut beanie
Complimentary ThriveOne professional development subscription
Annual free admission to any Kubernetes Community Days (KCD) event worldwide
Lifetime 50% discount on KubeCon + CloudNativeCon registration
60% discount voucher for each new CNCF certification released
Distinguished Golden badge and featured profile on the official Kubestronaut directory
Path to Golden Kubestronaut
1
Become Kubestronaut
Complete all 5 Kubernetes certifications
2
9 CNCF Certifications
Obtain the additional certifications
3
Linux Foundation
Complete the LFCS certification
Ready to start?