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Swedish astronaut Wandt in training: advantage for the second row
Photo: Axiom Space
Shortly before the finish, the sobering news came: Marcus Wandt would probably miss his big dream.
At least that's what it looked like when the European Space Agency (Esa) presented its new astronaut candidates in November 2022.
It was about the generation after Alexander Gerst, Matthias Maurer and Co. They can hope for a flight to the moon in the American "Artemis" program as a career highlight, but they won't be in service forever.
The Swedish test pilot Wandt was not among the five chosen to be his successor.
Together with almost a dozen other candidates - two of them from Germany - he was sorted into the so-called astronaut reserve.
Their members initially didn't get an astronaut contract, kept their normal jobs - and could only hope for luck that their dream of space would become reality at some point.
This is exactly what has now happened in a remarkable way at Wandt.
And that is before one of the five ESA astronaut candidates actually selected has even completed basic training.
Together with the Italian Walter Villadei and the Turk Alper Gezeravcı, he has just launched to the International Space Station (ISS).
His capsule is piloted by former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, who conveniently has not only US but also Spanish citizenship.
In this way, the mission can be marketed as a completely European space flight.
The question of marketing is important in this case.
The US private company Axiom is responsible for the flight and has rented a Dragon capsule from SpaceX.
The Falcon 9 rocket for the launch also comes from Elon Musk's space company.
Own space station as a target
Axiom makes money from sending people into space.
In a few years, the company also wants to build a private space station.
In a former electronics department store on the outskirts of the Texas metropolis of Houston, work is already underway at full speed, although we can't write much about the details yet.
Space as a place where private companies can make money - this development has been promoted by the US government in particular for years with high subsidies.
In Europe they are now trying to catch up.
Partnerships like the one with Axiom are at least a step into this new era - and at the same time they are shaking up the hierarchies in Europe's space travel.
Comparatively short time in space
On the first flight offered by Axiom in April 2022, three billionaires were the paying guests.
They had caused some chaos on the space station.
In the meantime, Axiom has discovered another interesting customer group: states that want to send an astronaut into space comparatively quickly.
And put money on the table for it.
Just like the Swedes do in the case of their supposed replacement candidate Wandt.
It's just a short trip.
While the five new ESA astronauts prepare for a six-month flight to the ISS, Axiom's customers only stay in space for about two weeks.
This will now also happen to Wandt, who has planned around 20 experiments for his mission.
He doesn't have to wait many years for his chance like previous ESA astronauts.
It looks like Axiom has opened up an interesting market - that of second-tier astronauts.
We hear from the company that we have found a solution to a problem that we first had to learn existed.
The next so-called project astronaut, Sławosz Uznański from Poland, is already training at Esa for a flight with the American company.
We also hear from other interested parties, for example from the Czech Republic or Hungary.
Theoretically, the two German members of the ESA reserve, the biotechnologist Amelie Schönenwald and the ex-pilot Nicola Winter, would also be possible candidates for a flight with Axiom.
This would have – finally!
– a woman from Germany has the chance to go to space, after flights by twelve men.
However, the necessary millions are unlikely to be found given the current budget situation.
So the advantage of the second row is probably reserved for others – like Marcus Wandt right now.