In December, NASA announced it was accepting applications for a new class of astronauts. (“Frequent travel may be required,” according to the job listing.) Today, the space agency said it was flooded with more than 18,000 applications.
That number shatters the previous record of 8,000 applications in 1978.
The chances of actually becoming an astronaut are exceedingly slim. Only eight to 14 individuals will eventually be selected from the candidate pool. They will then go through about two years of training at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA expects to make its candidate selections in mid-2017.