The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Impressions from the new ESA astronaut candidates after their first month of training at the European Astronaut Training in Cologne, Germany.
The ESA astronaut candidates of the class of 2022 Sophie Adenot, Pablo Álvarez Fernández, Rosemary Coogan, Raphaël Liégeois and Marco Sieber started basic astronaut training on 3 April 2023 in preparation for future space missions. The five trainees were selected from 22 500 applicants from across ESA Member States.
The candidates are trained to the highest level of standards as specified by the International Space Station partners. Basic training includes learning about space exploration, technical and scientific disciplines, space systems and operations, as well as spacewalks and survival training. Once they receive the ESA astronaut certification, they will move on to the next phases of pre-assignment and mission-specific training.