NASA is one of the biggest space agency in the world that smashed its previous record for Astronaut Applications. In 1978, the excitement in the people and youngsters about the future of NASA was outstanding. When NASA called for astronaut applications when its space shuttle is ready to debut. 8,000 people responded for the call, which was a record for applications till today.

Now this record was broken when the space agency announced that a whopping 18,300 people applied to join its 2017 astronaut class. Charles Bolden, the agency administrator, said the total number of applications reflects public approval for NASA’s Journey to Mars. Though the flight opportunities have fallen by about 90%, the astronaut applications have raised even.

“It’s not at all surprising to me that so many Americans from diverse backgrounds want to personally contribute to blazing the trail on our Journey to Mars. A few exceptionally talented men and women will become the astronauts chosen in this group who will once again launch to space from US soil on American-made spacecraft,” the four-time astronaut said.

The only sole destination for US astronauts is the International Space Station, which NASA is committed to flying through 2024 and possibly 2028. This affords only about four to six flight opportunities a year. American spacecraft, made by Boeing and SpaceX is expected to come online by late 2017 or 2018, will launch NASA astronauts from Florida. The first human mission in the new Orion spacecraft is unlikely before 2023, the agency has said, and this is likely to be a lunar flyby.

NASA Chief Financial Officer David Radzanowski said a robotic mission to grab that boulder and return it to orbit near the Moon may not be ready to launch before 2023.  NASA, with its 15 million Twitter followers and active social media accounts, the agency did a wonderful job of calling attention to this opportunity when it opened in December. The recent blockbuster movie The Martian may also be the reason for people having interest in being part of NASA.

“I think public interest in the space program is on the upswing,” Andy Weir, author of The Martian book, told. During the next 18 months, NASA will review the applications and then conduct a multi-part interview process with the most highly qualified candidates. The agency said it will announce eight to 14 astronaut candidates in mid-2017.