Crew-3 at SpaceX

ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer trains with NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron at SpaceX in California, USA.

Matthias officially joined ESA’s Astronaut Corps in 2015 and is the only ESA astronaut yet to fly to space. Originally from the southwest German state of Saarland, Matthias has studied in four different countries, gained a doctorate in materials science engineering and achieved national recognition for outstanding research.

Since joining ESA as an astronaut, he has been busy completing astronaut training in Europe and the US, taking part in ESA and NASA analogue studies underground and underwater and participating in sea survival training off the coast of China.

While this is the first mission for the German ESA astronaut, it may also provide a rare opportunity for two European astronauts to meet in space. ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet will be nearing the end of his six-month Alpha mission by the time Matthias is scheduled to arrive for his six-month mission. Both astronauts will carry out science and operations in space on behalf of researchers and international partners worldwide.

Follow Matthias in his blog.