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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.

Alexander Gerst
Andreas Mogensen
Luca Parmitano
Portrait of ESA astronaut Marco Sieber. Credit: ESA – A. Conigli
Marco Sieber
Marcus Wandt
Matthias Maurer
Portrait of ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez Fernández. Credit: ESA – A. Conigli
Pablo Álvarez Fernández
Portrait of ESA astronaut Raphaël Liégeois. Credit: ESA – A. Conigli
Raphaël Liégeois
Portrait of ESA astronaut Rosemary Coogan. Credit: ESA – A. Conigli
Rosemary Coogan
Samantha Cristoforetti
Astronaut portrait - Sławosz Uznański. Credits: ESA - A. Conigli
Sławosz Uznański
Portrait of ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot. Credit: ESA – A. Conigli
Sophie Adenot
Thomas Pesquet
Astronaut portrait - Sławosz Uznański. Credits: ESA - A. Conigli
Sławosz Uznański

(English) Countdown to Ignis

Posted on Tuesday, der 20. May 2025 by Laura

(English) As the countdown to Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) enters its final phase, ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski has completed an intensive training programme across the globe. Scheduled to launch no earlier than 8 June 2025, Ax-4 will take him and his crewmates to the International Space Station for a two-week mission focused on science, technology and international collaboration.

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Astronauts

(English) A year in images for Europe’s human and robotic exploration

Posted on Monday, der 23. December 2024 by Nadjejda

(English) Time flies when exploring space.

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Science

(English) Glove is in the air

Posted on Friday, der 13. December 2024 by Laura

(English) Ever wondered how astronauts conduct delicate experiments in the harsh environment of space? Gloveboxes—sealed chambers equipped with built-in gloves—allow them to perform groundbreaking research without compromising safety or precision.

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Astronaut portrait - Sławosz Uznański. Credits: ESA - A. Conigli
Sławosz Uznański

(English) Grasping for space debris solutions

Posted on Tuesday, der 12. November 2024 by Laura

(English) In preparation for his upcoming mission with Axiom Space, ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański is getting to grips with a first taste of space exploration during the most recent ESA parabolic flight campaign.

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Podcasts

(English) ESA astronaut class of 2022: Astro Chat with Marco Sieber and Claude Nicollier

Posted on Friday, der 25. October 2024 by Laura

(English) In Episode 11 of this ESA Explores podcast series, we chatted with Switzerland’s first and latest ESA astronauts, Claude Nicollier and Marco Sieber.

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International Space Station

(English) 2001: a space odyssey for the first European woman on ISS

Posted on Wednesday, der 23. October 2024 by Nadjejda

(English) On this day in 2001, former ESA astronaut Claudie Haigneré became the first European woman to visit the International Space Station.

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Podcasts

(English) Road to the stars: Training for the Moon at LUNA

Posted on Monday, der 21. October 2024 by Laura

(English) In the first episode of the new ESA Explores series, "Road to the stars," we chat with ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer about the LUNA facility, Europe's Moon on Earth.

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