More people applied to be astronauts this year than ever before

Record-breaking applications to become an astronaut.

(Image credit: iStock)

last updated 20 February 2016

Outer space has been pretty cool lately: We've discovered gravitational waves, found conditions conducive to life on Mars, and successfully sent New Horizons on a nine-year journey to photograph Pluto. Pluto!

So it is perhaps no surprise that this year NASA received a record number of applicants for their 2017 astronaut class. However, NASA didn't just beat the old record — they obliterated it. Over 18,300 people applied for the gig; the previous record was 8,000 way back in 1978, Florida Today's space reporter James Dean said.

Unfortunately, yesterday was the last day NASA was accepting applications for the job — but hey, there's always next year. Learn more about applying to be a "future explorer" over at NASA.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.