ESA astronaut candidates briefed at NASA JSC

Members of ESA’s astronaut class of 2022 embarked on their first overseas field trip. They visited NASA’s facilities at the Johnson Space Centre (JSC) in Houston, Texas, USA, to get familiar with the environment where they will spend a significant part of their training once assigned to a mission.

Their week-long stay at JSC offered an ideal opportunity for the group to familiarize with their upcoming training environments, meet their soon-to-be colleagues and counterparts as well as taking part in specialized training events.  

During their visit, ESA’s astronaut candidates had the chance to explore the Space Station architecture through a full-scale mock-up. They were briefed on emergency procedures and contingency communication related to the Space Station. They were also taking part in introductory exercises to familiarize them with specific habitability systems including astronauts’ planning tools, the storage systems and the restrooms.