14.11.2026
A NEW GENERATION OF ESA ASTRONAUTS
Members of ESA’s astronaut reserve on stage with their training certificates during a ceremony marking the completion of their Astronaut Reserve Training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.
Several Members of ESA’s astronaut reserve have returned to the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, for a special ceremony celebrating the completion of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART).
During the ceremony, Meganne Christian from the UK, Anthea Comellini from Italy, Sara García Alonso from Spain, Andrea Patassa from Italy, Carmen Possnig from Austria, Amelie Schoenenwald from Germany and Aleš Svoboda from Czechia received certificates recognising the training they completed earlier this year. John McFall from the UK and Arnaud Prost from France were unable to attend the ceremony and will also receive their certificates.
The occasion also saw the unveiling of a group patch representing all 12 members of the reserve and their shared journey since joining ESA’s astronaut class of 2022.
Selected as members of ESA’s astronaut reserve in November 2022, nine of the twelve began ART in October 2024. Over three training blocks, they developed technical, operational and scientific skills through a programme based on elements of ESA’s basic astronaut training.
For Alexander Gerst, head of ESA’s crew operations and astronaut corps team, the ceremony recognises both their achievements and their place within a new cohort of European astronauts.
“Our new generation of astronauts brings together people with very different backgrounds and experiences, united by the same passion for exploration. It has been great to see our reserve members grow through their training and become such a strong group, despite the many challenges each one of them has to navigate. Today is a chance to celebrate what they have achieved and look forward to what may come next.”
Together with ESA’s Career Astronauts selected in 2022, the members of the reserve are part of a new generation contributing to Europe’s ambitions in human spaceflight and exploration.
FROM TRAINING TO READINESS
ART covered the fundamentals of astronaut training, from spacecraft systems, medical training and scientific operations to human behaviour and performance. As the programme progressed, the members of the reserve explored mission operations and life aboard the International Space Station, alongside practical exercises including winter and sea survival, firefighting, spacewalk familiarisation in EAC’s Neutral Buoyancy Facility and robotics training.
During the second training block, they also received a dedicated ART patch marking their progress through the training. The final phase concluded at EAC in May 2026, bringing all nine members to the same level of readiness.
“The future of human spaceflight will bring diverse and new opportunities, in low Earth orbit and beyond. Having a strong and flexible astronaut corps means Europe is prepared to make the most of those opportunities. The trained members of our astronaut reserve are an important part of that readiness and strengthen our ability to respond to what comes next,” says ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, Daniel Neuenschwander.
Having completed ART, ESA’s astronaut reserve forms a flexible pool of trained individuals who remain in their professions while ready to support future European human spaceflight opportunities.
Quelle: ESA