It is likely to be the toughest recruitment process of all time.
NASA has revealed that it has had a record number of applications to become one of its astronauts.
Some 18,300 people have put themselves forward to work for the space agency - more than double the previous record of 8,000 in 1978.
The boost is partly thanks to a social media recruitment push, and also likely linked to an increased interest in space travel as the prospect of landing humans on Mars edges closer.
Those who do not have the required citizenship and education requirements will be immediately purged from the pool of potential candidates.
NASA is only looking for American citizens with at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, mathematics or computer science.
From the whittled-down list, it will shortlist a couple of hundred people to interview.
Those will be eventually narrowed down, with just eight to 14 roles up for grabs.
NASA administrator Charles Bolden, a former space shuttle commander, said: "It's not at all surprising to me that so many Americans from diverse backgrounds want to personally contribute to blazing the trail on our journey to Mars."
They will train to fly to the International Space Station on capsules which are being developed by SpaceX and Boeing.
They could also fly on NASA's Orion spacecraft intended for deep-space exploration.
The agency wants to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s.
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