For the past year, five fit, academically superior men and women have been spun in centrifuges, submerged for hours, deprived temporarily of oxygen, taught to camp in the snow, and schooled in physiology, anatomy, astronomy, meteorology, robotics, and Russian. Today, the five Europeans and an Australian graduated from basic training with a new title: astronaut.

Cologne

The European Space Agency (ESA) proudly announced the addition of five new astronauts to its ranks, following their graduation from a rigorous year-long basic training program. These individuals, hailing from France, Switzerland, Spain, Northern Ireland, and Belgium, have undergone extensive physical and academic preparation, marking a significant milestone in their careers in space exploration.

Over the course of their training, the astronauts were subjected to a variety of challenging tests and exercises, including enduring centrifuge spins, being submerged underwater for extended periods, and experiencing temporary oxygen deprivation. Additionally, they received education in a broad range of disciplines necessary for space travel such as physiology, anatomy, astronomy, meteorology, robotics, and the Russian language. Such comprehensive preparation underscores the ESA's commitment to equipping its astronauts with the skills needed to thrive in the demanding environment of space.

The graduation ceremony, held at the agency's headquarters in Cologne, celebrated not only their successful completion of the training but also their eligibility for future space missions. One of the newly graduated astronauts expressed their awe and excitement about the journey ahead, emphasizing the emotional impact of transitioning from simulated training environments to the reality of space. The selection of these candidates from a pool of over 22,000 applicants highlights the competitive nature of the recruitment process — the fourth of its kind since the ESA's establishment in 1978.

The new astronauts, described as a team of physically fit scientists, engineers, and doctors, represent the next generation of European space exploration. Despite having completed this initial stage of their preparation, they will continue to undergo mission-specific and specialized training to further hone their skills and readiness for space travel. Their journey reflects the intersection of physical endurance, academic excellence, and the passionate pursuit of the final frontier.



European Space Agency reveals five new astronauts

A graduation that will take these students much further than usual. The European Space Agency has welcomed five new recruits from France, Switzerland, Spain, Northern Ireland and Belgium. Celebrating at the headquarters in Cologne, these trainees are now eligible for space missions. He first said, welcome to space. And for me, it was just like, wow, mind-blowing. I had the goosebumps. And I was just like, yeah, OK, in a few years, it's going to be me in space, not in the water with safety divers, but me in space with my buddy, EVA. The year-long immersive training was preparation for the hostile environment encountered in space. Selected from a pool of over 22,000 applicants across Europe, this is only the fourth recruitment since the space agency's conception in 1978. Well, physically the most challenging part, I think for me, was always the physical training. We had two to three times per week, we had physical training in the gym or also outdoors. And the trainees are really engaging and the training was quite hard from time to time. But the learning doesn't stop with further mission-specific and specialised training to come. A team of physically fit scientists, engineers and doctors, this new generation of astronauts are now ready for liftoff.

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