More than 22,000 people have applied for astronauts from the European Space Agency

More than 22,000 people have applied for five vacancies at the European Space Agency (ESA), including one space for an astronaut with a physical disability, in a competition that opened for the first time since 2008, announced today.

According to the European Space Agency, of the total number of candidates, more than 200 people competed for the newly created space for an astronaut with a physical disability, and the selected candidate is expected to work out the modifications needed for a future space mission.

Of the total number of candidates, 5,400 (24 per cent) were women. In 2008, women represented 15.5% of the 8,413 candidates.

Nominations, whose deadline was June 18, came from all member states, including Portugal, and from associate members including Lithuania, whose citizens recently became eligible for selection due to the country’s new status as an associate member of the European Space Agency.

The global announcement of the selected astronauts is scheduled for the end of 2022.

ESA Director General Josef Asbacher said in a statement that the agency “sought to attract a broad range of candidates through its recruitment campaign and looks forward to the challenge of selecting candidates most suitable for Europe.”

“I would like to thank everyone who has applied for the time and effort they have already devoted to the Astronaut Application. We appreciate your patience as our team works to ensure a fair and complete process and remind all those interested in space that being an astronaut is not the only opportunity available at the European Space Agency. In the coming years, we will research for a wide range of space professionals.

“Representation of all parts of our community is a concern that we take very seriously. I look forward to seeing which of these candidates will join our current team of astronauts and help contribute to this,” said David Parker, Director of Human Exploration and Robotics at the European Space Agency. Representation on Earth and in Space.

Currently, the ESA’s active astronaut team consists of seven astronauts – from Italy (2), Germany (2), the United Kingdom (1), Denmark (1) and France (1).