On Thursday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that it has received 18,300 applications for next batch of astronauts. The application window for its 2017 class of astronauts has been closed. Nearly 18,300 applicants have given their names for only eight to 14 spots.

The ever-increasing number of applicants has broken a roughly 40-year-old record as in 1978 the US space agency received 8,000 applicants for its astronaut program.

In a press release, Johnson Space Center director of operations Brian Kelly, said, “It’s heartening to know so many people recognize what great opportunity this is to be part of NASA’s exciting mission. I look forward to meeting men and women talented enough to rise to top of what is always pool of incredible applicants”.

NASA opened the application window in December 2015 for the first time since 2011, promoted the opportunity on social media platforms like Reddit.

Knowing the US space agency’s severe qualification requirements, the size of the applicant class has been termed as surprising by many. The agency is looking for American citizens having at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical science, computer science, biological science, or mathematics.

The qualified ones also need to have more than three years of professional experience or a thousand or above hours of flight time. The nature of astronaut program is physically demanding, considering which applicants have to pass a physical exam as well.

The applicants who fail to meet the requirements will be the first ones to get eliminated, and then the reviewers will analyze the remaining applications to know, who can be categorized as ‘highly qualified’.

Just the 400 to 600 ‘most qualified’ applicants will have their references checked. Out of these, nearly 120 will visit Houston for in-person interviews, orientation, and medical screening in the beginning of next year.