When Nasa announced they were looking for new astronauts, reaction was unsurprisingly excited. So much so, according to Nasa, that a “record number” of people applied to become an astronaut.
The job specifications were pretty strict — recruits had to have “a high level of education in scientific or technical disciplines, coupled with an outstanding professional background in research, application or education fields”. They also needed to have several years experience of working in a technical environment, and have to pass an extensive physical. That didn’t stop over 18,300 people applying, though — over 10,000 more applications than the previous record of 8,000.
By: Emily Reynolds,
