Nov 04, 2015 01:05 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

NASA may not be going to Mars for another decade or more, but the road for aspiring astronauts hoping to be part of that mission or others begins now.

Rather, it officially begins in couple months, as NASA announced Wednesday it would open an astronaut application period on Dec. 14. NASA stated it would close the application period in "mid-February" and would select candidates in "mid-2017."

When the time comes, visit USAJobs.gov to apply and check back for updates. You can also visit NASA.gov/Astronauts to learn more about the application process.

According to Discovery News, NASA has 47 astronauts eligible for flight assignments and appears ready to bring that number back up towards what it was in the space shuttle peak in the late-1990s. NASA's astronaut recruitment is also aligned with an effort to return spaceflight launches to the United States.

NASA is currently contracting U.S. companies like SpaceX and Boeing to fly unmanned cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station. The companies are also developing spacecraft designed to ferry humans back and forth as well.

Some of the astronauts recruited by NASA could be part of the "Journey to Mars," a multi-phase mission that would end in astronauts walking on Mars. One major milestone will be testing the Orion spacecraft with astronauts aboard.

"This next group of American space explorers will inspire the Mars generation to reach for new heights, and help us realize the goal of putting boot prints on the Red Planet," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in the news release. "Those selected for this service will fly on U.S. made spacecraft from American soil, advance critical science and research aboard the International Space Station, and help push the boundaries of technology in the proving ground of deep space."

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