ESA´s class of 2022 astronaut candidates graduate
One year of basic training will culminate to a graduation ceremony for ESA’s class of 2022 astronaut candidates. The training comprised, for example, medical training, stimulated spacewalks, survival training, technical skills and lessons in astronomy, astrophysics and meteorology.
ESA’s astronaut candidates are Sophie Adenot, Pablo Álvarez Fernández, Rosemary Coogan, Raphaël Liégeois and Marco Sieber. Also Australian Space Agency astronaut candidate Katherine Bennell-Pegg will graduate.
On 22 April 2024, these astronaut candidates will receive their certification at ESA's European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, officially becoming fully fledged astronauts eligible for spaceflight.
Chosen from a pool of 22,500 applicants from ESA Member States, the ESA astronaut class of 2022 comprises 17 members, including 5 astronaut candidates and 12 members of an astronaut reserve.
Beginning their journey as aspiring space scientists, the astronaut candidates immersed themselves in fundamental biology and scientific laboratory techniques. This groundwork ensures they are well-prepared for conducting scientific experiments aboard the International Space Station.
Tune in to ESA Web TV and ESA YouTube on Monday 22 April 2024 from 10:00-11:30 CEST (11.00-12.30 Finnish time) to follow the graduation ceremony live.
Read more about the candidates and the training
In the ESA website you can find a lot of interesting information: images and videos and also astronaut candidate biographies.
