Astronaut Reservists Complete Intensive Second Training Phase

ESA’s Astronaut Reserve completed its second joint training phase following eight weeks of intensive instruction at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, concluding in late October 2025. The program brought together candidates who had previously trained in separate groups, expanding their technical and operational preparation for future missions.

Training covered core spaceflight disciplines including spacecraft systems, mission operations, life-support fundamentals, and orbital mechanics, alongside International Space Station procedures. Practical modules included virtual and extended reality simulations for spacecraft familiarization, underwater exercises to replicate microgravity, sea survival drills, and firefighting response training. Participants also completed anatomy and physiology studies to support crew health awareness and payload science preparation.

The group is expected to return in the first half of 2026 for the final phase of their training pathway.