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How does one become an astronaut?
In 2022, the European Space Agency selected 17 new astronaut candidates from more than 22,500 applicants. While this selection is already a major achievement, it is only the first step in the astronauts’ preparation before they join the International Space Station (ISS). First at the ESA Astronaut Training Center in Cologne and then at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, the astronauts will learn how to conduct experiments in microgravity, maintain the space station, and even pull a tooth in an emergency. This was notably the case for French astronaut Sophie Adenot, who underwent intensive training for 2 years and 10 months before joining the ISS—a record for speed.
To give young people a taste of what astronauts’ training and daily lives are like, ESA has launched the Mission X project, coordinated in France by CNES through its ESERO France office. The “Train Like an Astronaut” challenge involves completing scientific and athletic activities inspired by astronauts’ routines, with the goal of raising awareness among young people about the importance of regular physical activity and a balanced diet.
CNES Web Conference
To celebrate the end of the school year, CNES is organizing an online conference during the first two weeks of June 2026. This webinar will be led by a CNES expert who will discuss the physical and technical training that European astronauts undergo before heading to the ISS.
This online webinar will be 30 minutes long and will be followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. It is open to students in cycles 3 and 4 and high school. The final date will be announced in early May, and the Zoom link for the webinar will be sent to you a few days before the event, once your registration has been confirmed. In addition, some of the questions will be selected before the webinar from those submitted via this form.
