ESA title
Topic

Astronauts

Exploring our Solar System is one of humankind's most exciting adventures. ESA selected its first astronauts in 1978 for the 1983 Spacelab mission on NASA's Space Shuttle. Here you'll find more about our current astronauts – the class of 2009.

Marcus Wandt

I need more space

The design of buildings and spaces can greatly affect how people feel and perform. Windows, wall colours and even plants in a room can improve your productivity and mood. In extreme environments, the layout of a habitat becomes even more important.

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Podcasts

ESA astronaut class of 2022: Astro Chat with Marcus Wandt

In the first episode of the ESA Explores podcast series on our 2022 astronaut class, ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt provides a glimpse into his spaceflight training ahead of his upcoming Muninn mission.

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Marcus Wandt

Isolation for space – Marcus in quarantine

All astronauts go through a quarantine period before flying to space. For decades, space travellers had to isolate to ensure that they are not sick or incubating an illness before their trip to space.

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Marcus Wandt

The story behind the Muninn mission patch

Patches are an integral part of every astronaut mission. Space agencies print out a cloth reproduction that astronauts wear during their flight, a tradition that started sixty years ago.

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Sławosz Uznański

Thumbs up for training

Sławosz Uznański, ESA project astronaut from Poland, gives a “thumbs-up” from the heart of the action inside the Columbus training mockup at ESA's European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.

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Sławosz Uznański

Sławosz Uznański from Poland to train as a project astronaut at the European Astronaut Centre

As of 1 September 2023, Sławosz Uznański joined ESA as a project astronaut anticipating flying on a future space mission.

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Marcus Wandt

The astronaut in me

Becoming an astronaut was never a master plan for Marcus Wandt. There were many things that intrigued him as a kid, and while the idea was unlikely, it remained a captivating dream that took root and slowly grew stronger.

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Training

Between two worlds

Every week spent in a different place, in a different time zone. A myriad of training lessons, countless instructors, and never-before-seen technology. A life between airports, the new faces, the non-stop learning… and no time for lunch.

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