The European Space Agency Announces Historic Astronaut Selection

Photo: ESA

For the first time since 2008, on March 31, the European Space Agency will open the gates to a historic selection of 11 astronauts. In this journey of discovery for Earth's benefit, the selected humans will undergo a series of eight steps to finalize with an appointment announcement on October 2022. Among the brave women and men, a worldwide unique ESA Parastronaut Feasibility Project has also launched. The parastronauts will be selected based on disability, among other aptitudes, and act as the Agency's reserve.

"Europe is taking its place at the heart of space exploration. To go farther than we ever have before, we need to look wider than we ever have before. This recruitment process is the first step, and I look forward to watching the Agency develop across all areas of space exploration and innovation, with our international partners, in the years to come," says the ESA Director General Jan Wörner.

These diverse and multinational missions will push science and technology boundaries' to improve life on Earth and beyond. Its space flight will also sustain and develop a Circular Economic initiative to improve technology developments in energy efficiency, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, habitation, recycling, waste management, additive manufacturing processes & technology.

Among other discovery feats, humanity will have a higher understanding of brain trauma, cholesterol decreasing bacteria, ion plasmas to disinfect hospitals, remote ultrasound techniques, non-invasive thermometer used in open-heart surgery, improving nutrition with easy to grow supplements, AI robotic factories, space-age metals for lighter more fuel efficient aircraft, turning 85% of wastewater into freshwater and more. Especially during our time of pandemic events, the research of enabling telerobotics in disaster areas and more will also play an important role.

Beyond our imagination, these missions will ensure our civilization's survival and preservation on an advanced platform where humanity can come together.

"Representing all parts of our society is a concern that we take very seriously," says David Parker, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. "Diversity at ESA should not only address the origin, age, background or gender of our astronauts, but also perhaps physical disabilities. To make this dream a reality, alongside the astronaut recruitment, I am launching the Parastronaut Feasibility Project – an innovation whose time has come."

The men and women, among other criteria, must have at least a master's degree and three-year experience in the fields of natural sciences, medicine, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.

The conference was broadcasted in six languages, and upon selection, each astronaut will undergo intensive Russian language study throughout the training. To the aspiring heroes watching in Spanish, ESA German Astronaut Matthias Maurer noted: "It is more difficult to be selected as an astronaut than to work as one."