Astronaut basic training: spacewalk simulation for Sophie

ESA astronaut candidate Sophie Adenot during an EVA pre-familiarisation training in ESA's Neutral Buoyancy Facility (NBF).

During basic astronaut training, the astronaut candidates complete scuba diving and later spacewalk training in the Neutral Buoyancy Facility (NBF) at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre. Underwater, astronauts learn how to venture outside a spacecraft while wearing spacesuits, to perform critical repairs and install new equipment on the International Space Station. The basic training programme also involved a visit to NASA’s facilities at the Johnson Space Centre (JSC) in Houston, Texas, USA, and scuba diving for spacewalk training under water in NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL).

ESA’s newest class of astronauts, including Sophie Adenot, Rosemary Coogan, Pablo Álvarez Fernández, Raphaël Liégeois and Marco Sieber commenced basic astronaut training in April 2023. The group was selected in November 2022. 

The one-year basic training provides an overall familiarisation and training in various areas, such as spacecraft systems, spacewalking, flight engineering, robotics and life support systems, as well as survival and medical training before they receive astronaut certification in April 2024.  

After certification, they will move on to the next phases of pre-assignment and mission-specific training, paving the way for future missions to the International Space Station and beyond.