Ever felt like going into space? Good news: NASA is on the lookout for 14 new astronauts. Bad news: 18,300 people have already applied. This is the highest number of applicants NASA has ever received; the previous record was just 8,000. The Washington Post credits this huge interest to a variety of factors, from NASA's utilization of social media to marketing for the movie The Martian. Unfortunately, the journey to actually becoming an astronaut requires an 18-month application process, rigorous training, and the proper qualifications—approximately 120 applicants will be interviewed out of the thousands who apply.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Even if you've never wanted to go into orbit, chances are you've probably felt like the odds are against you: maybe you've felt under-qualified, inadequate, or just plain not good enough to make it where you want to go.

Source:

Rachel Feltman, “NASA needs 14 new astronauts. A record-breaking 18,300 folks applied,” The Washington Post (2-22-16)