Alonso and Schonenwald are two of the five women and three men from seven European ­countries in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) astronaut reserve who took part in sea survival training in Rostock. Eight potential astronauts from seven European countries receive water rescue training in the Baltic Sea near the northern east German city of Rostock. The astronaut training pathAnyone hoping to climb the ranks at ESA first has to get into the water for sea survival training. No guaranteed spotDespite the training, space ­missions are by no means guaranteed for the astronaut reserve. The firm, which normally trains employees from the offshore industry, is honoured to be training potential future astronauts.

Source: The Star December 21, 2025 06:31 UTC