Over 18,300 Apply to Become NASA Astronauts, Smashing Record

More than 18,300 people have applied for 14 or fewer spots in NASA's next astronaut class, shattering the 1978 record of 8,000 applicants. The prospective astronauts all submitted their applications between Dec.14 and when the application period closed yesterday (Feb. 18) — and the total number is close to triple the applicants for NASA's most recent astronaut class, in 2012. "It's not at all surprising to me that so many Americans from diverse backgrounds want to personally contribute to