European Space Agency Thrilled As 22, 000 People Apply

22, 000 people have applied to the European Space Agency to achieve their dreams to become the next space travelers.

The ESA says it’s “thrilled” by the interest level, because the number of applicants is up roughly two-and-a-half-times since the agency ran its last hiring drive in 2008.

“I think (what) we see is quite historic, having more than 22,000 applicants is quite a number. We have all been astonished and we have heard it before what this means. It’s much more than we expected.”

There was also a significant jump in the number of women committed to exploring space.

24% or some 5, 400 applications were women up from 155 in 2008.

The ESA particularly sought out people with physical disabilities, as the agency is trying to study for the first time how to accommodate them better in space stations.

Candidates will have to undergo fierce competition, as just four to six people will be chosen as Europe’s next astronauts.