ESA portrait of Aleš Svoboda

Aleš Svoboda was selected as a member of the ESA Astronaut Reserve in November 2022. He began his Astronaut Reserve training at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany, on 28 October 2024. The programme covers selected modules of ESA’s one-year basic training typically completed by career astronauts, equipping members of ESA’s astronaut reserve with the skills needed to support Europe’s future space exploration and scientific research. Training includes technical and operational skills, spacecraft systems, survival exercises in water and winter conditions, and initial spacewalk training.