They will have the very rare privilege of going into space. The European Space Agency unveils, Wednesday, November 23, its new promotion of astronauts, which will include between four and six elected officials. “There will probably be a Frenchman or a Frenchwoman”, revealed Philippe Baptiste, president and CEO of the National Center for Space Studies (Cnes), interviewed on franceinfo. Follow our live.
Some 22,000 candidates at the start. The European Space Agency (ESA) recruitment campaign was launched in February 2021. In total, it received 22,523 applications. Much more than during the previous one, in 2008, when 8,413 application files were sent.
The French have applied more. France is the country with the most candidates, according to ESA figures (PDF in English). Of the 22,523 candidates, 7,087 came from France, 3,695 from Germany, 2,000 from the United Kingdom, 1,845 from Italy, 1,341 from Spain and 1,007 from Belgium.
Of the selected paraastronauts. The new promotion will include astronauts “with a physical disability”. “Alongside the recruitment of astronauts, I am launching the Paraastronaut Feasibility Project – an innovation whose time has come”, explained David Parker, director of human and robotic exploration at ESA, at the launch of the campaign. ESA also received 257 applications.