MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. Russia’s cosmonaut training center has received about 200 applications from candidates eager to embark on a space career.

"As of today the center has some 200 applications. Three dozen sets of documents have been processed by now," the center’s press-service said.

Russia’s state corporation Roscosmos and the cosmonauts training center declared a contest for admission to the team of space explorers on March 14. Each applicant is expected to present a voluminous package of documents, including questionnaires, identification papers, a copy of the work record booklet, a certificate of good conduct confirming there is no history of a criminal record, a security clearance certificate allowing access to state secrets and a pile of medical certificates.

The press-service said the collection of such documents, in particular, medical certificates, is a time-consuming process.

"Experience shows that most of the applications are filed during the last month," the cosmonauts training center said.

The deadline for filing in the applications is July 14. The results will be summarized in December. Six to eight newcomers will be enrolled.

This is the 17th cosmonauts recruitment session. The previous one was in 2012.