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University of Stuttgart trains new astronauts for ESA 

2022-12-15T16:05:48.722Z


University of Stuttgart trains new astronauts for ESA  Created: 2022-12-15, 4:53 p.m By: Julian Baumann The University of Stuttgart was selected to train future astronauts for the European Space Agency (ESA) in space technology. However, the lectures will not take place in Stuttgart. Stuttgart - In March 2019, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that it was looking for new astronauts for


University of Stuttgart trains new astronauts for ESA 

Created: 2022-12-15, 4:53 p.m

By: Julian Baumann

The University of Stuttgart was selected to train future astronauts for the European Space Agency (ESA) in space technology.

However, the lectures will not take place in Stuttgart.

Stuttgart - In March 2019, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that it was looking for new astronauts for the first time in a long time.

The well-known astronaut Alexander Gerst explained what skills the perfect candidate needs.

The geophysicist and volcanologist from Künzelsau (Baden-Württemberg) knows very well that the selection process is anything but easy.

He prevailed against more than 8,400 applicants in an ESA selection process in 2008 and was the only German to be trained as an astronaut along with six others.

On November 23, ESA presented five career astronauts who, like Alexander Gerst, had prevailed in the very demanding selection process a few years earlier and are now to be trained for future space missions.

The Institute for Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart was selected based on its expertise and teaching experience in space technology to take on an important part of the basic training for the prospective astronauts, as BW24 reports.

The Aerospace Engineering course is one of the most popular at the University of Stuttgart.

University of Stuttgart trains highly qualified astronauts for space missions

Many people would like to be able to explore the universe that promises endless mysteries.

But very few really have what it takes to be an astronaut.

Accordingly, the new astronauts at ESA are highly qualified.

With Sophie Adenot, a helicopter pilot from France, Spanish aerospace engineer Pablo Álvarez Fernández, British doctor of astronomy Rosemary Coogan, Raphael Liégois, doctor of neuroscience from Belgium and Swiss doctor of medicine Marco Sieber, five career astronauts will become trained for future missions.

Among the reserve astronauts are Amelie Schönenwald and Nicola Winter, two German astronauts for the first time, and John McFall, who lost a leg at the age of 19, is the first parastronaut.

The University of Stuttgart will take over part of the basic astronaut training at ESA.

The well-known German astronaut Alexander Gerst (photo) also took part in this training in 2009.

©ESA/NASA

Although the people mentioned are highly qualified and have thus proven that they "have what it takes" to become astronauts, as stated in a press release from the University of Stuttgart, the demanding "basic astronaut training" is still to come.

The portion of the training provided by the IRS is specifically related to the fundamentals of space technology.

"During this training, the prospective astronauts get a first insight into the space systems, first dealing with the space environment and its effects," explains Stefanos Fasoulas, Executive Director of the IRS.

Basic astronaut training: Lectures by the team from the University of Stuttgart will probably take place in Cologne

The lectures for the new ESA astronauts are held by experienced lecturers from the University of Stuttgart and deal, among other things, with an introduction to aerodynamics and the necessary subsystems - such as energy supply, thermal control or life support systems.

In addition, the topics of flight dynamics, control and navigation are covered.

According to the press release, the team is preparing a total of 20 lectures for the prospective astronauts.

However, the lectures will not take place on the Vaihingen campus of the University of Stuttgart, where the institute is located, but in all likelihood at the end of 2023 at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne.

Alexander Gerst also took part in ESA's basic training in 2009.

On May 28, 2014 he flew on board a Russian Soyuz rocket as the third German astronaut to the International Space Station ISS for the first time.

On his second mission into space, Gerst took over command of the International Space Station in addition to his work as a scientific astronaut from October 3rd to December 20th.

At the turn of the year 2022/2023, a development by Stuttgart students will also be sent to the ISS.

The student group from the University of Stuttgart had won a competition held by the German and Luxembourg space agencies.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-12-15

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