Nasa: 'record number' of astronaut applications for class of 2017

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