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Paris (dpa) - Reach for the stars once: For the first time in more than a decade, the European space agency Esa is looking for new astronauts.
"A lot of people don't even apply because they think they won't take me anyway," said the German astronaut Alexander Gerst, known as "Astro-Alex", at an Esa online press conference on Tuesday.
This is what he assumed when he applied.
But Gerst thought he owed it to his 80-year-old self to at least try.
Esa wants to encourage women in particular to apply.
And for the first time she is also looking for people with physical limitations.
According to Gerst, only around a sixth were women in the last application round.
“Maybe because we didn't reach young women as a target group,” says the 44-year-old, who has been the German who has been in space the longest since his return from the ISS in December 2018.
However, Esa does not want to bet on a quota.
«No, we will not introduce a quota for women.
As a matter of principle, we will not bring in any quotas, ”explained Chiara Manfletti, head of the department for policy and program coordination.
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In total, Esa is looking for four to six so-called career astronauts.
They will be hired as permanent Esa employees and will be used for the space missions.
The organization is also looking for up to 20 astronauts in reserve.
They can be selected for specific missions.
As part of this reserve pool, Esa is also explicitly looking for an astronaut with a certain degree of physical disability.
The program is called «Parastronaut».
ESA wants to investigate the circumstances under which the candidate can fly to the ISS.
"We have a lot of unanswered questions about this," said David Parker, Esa director for astronautical and robotic exploration.
But if you don't ask these questions, you won't get any answers.
It is unclear whether the chosen one will actually take part in a mission in space in the end.
Gerst praised the project.
It is important that people take part in missions who have had different experiences than you.
At that time, Gerst prevailed among more than 8,000 applicants.
So did the Italian Samantha Cristoforetti - at the time she was the only woman among the six new astronauts.
"I thought the whole universe would stand still and smile at me," she said of the moment when she heard of the promise.
If you think you are not good enough, you often do not apply.
“And we don't want that,” said the 43-year-old.
"Apply and let us decide at Esa whether you are the right person or the right person."
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So if you dream of space, you can apply online from March 31 to May 28.
This is followed by a six-stage selection process, which should be completed in October 2022.
For example, you have to submit your résumé, a letter of motivation and a medical report.
If you want to apply, you should have a master’s degree - for example in natural sciences, computer science, engineering or medicine - and have several years of professional experience.
"I am sure we will find the best," said Esa General Director Jan Wörner.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210216-99-467150 / 3
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