Thomas Pesquet on June 2, 2017 in Kazakhstan.

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SHAMIL ZHUMATOV / POOL / AFP

  • The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its fourth recruitment campaign for astronauts on Tuesday, aiming at "generational change".

    Four to six applicants will be selected after a one and a half year process.

  • During the previous wave of recruitments in 2008, less than ten had crossed the finish line out of more than 8,000 aspirants, including Thomas Pesquet.

  • This recruitment wave is a first in 11 years for ESA and its 22 Member States, as it enters a “new era of space exploration”.

  • 20 Minutes gives

     you all the secrets of recruiting future European astronauts.

What if you applied to become an astronaut?

The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch its fourth recruitment campaign, which will begin at the end of March, aimed at "generational change".

This recruitment wave is a first in 11 years for ESA and its 22 Member States, as it enters a “new era of space exploration”.

But places are scarce.

In 2008, less than ten aspiring 8,000 had crossed the finish line, including the French Thomas Pesquet.

This time around, between four and six applications will be selected at the end of the process, which begins on March 31.

20 Minutes gives

you all the secrets of recruitment and the steps to be taken.

Analyze the personality of the candidates

Six tests await the candidates, preferably aged 27 to 37 and coming from the 22 member countries of the European Space Agency, created in 1975. First step, a questionnaire of around ten pages.

"We try to identify the candidate's personality, his character, his motivations, to know what makes him suitable and" wired "for this job," explains Jean-François Clervoy, former astronaut and astronaut at ESA.

About 10% will pass this first step, which is necessary to sort.

The second test consists of evaluating the psychological, psychotechnical and psychomotor aspects of the candidates with personality, memory, logic, reasoning or motor skills tests.

"It is important that we verify that the candidate has a" cerebral setting "suitable for this kind of job," adds Jean-François Clervoy.

Those whose profile seems interesting then pass the third test in front of a jury made up of psychologists, an ESA human resources manager and an astronaut.

On the program, group and individual exercises.

“For example, we form a group of five and we give them a problem to solve in a given time.

The jury not only waits for the answer to the problem, it watches them think and come to an agreement.

It allows us to see who is a leader, who is a follower, who is a force for proposal, who is waiting for things to happen, ”explains the astronaut, member of the jury for the former recruitment campaign.

Emotional intelligence, a primordial quality

For the fourth stage, the fifty or so candidates still in the running undergo extensive medical examinations to check their sight, hearing, the composition of their blood, their intestines and their heart function.

"We're going to look for things that we would never have gone looking for if it weren't for a space flight," explains Jean-François Clervoy.

At this stage, half of them are declared unfit, most often for vision or cardiovascular problems.

“The other 25 are all considered perfect for the job in every way,” he adds.

The fifth and sixth rounds are professional interviews before a jury, made up of at least one member of the ESA management.

If the level of requirement to work in orbit is high, certain qualities are essential, believes Philippe Perrin, former astronaut: “Today, what is required is emotional intelligence.

It is the ability to live and work as a team, to accept others, to support each other.

We are on long flights, we spend time together in a small space.

For example, Thomas Pesquet is the man with whom we want to go with a crew ”.

For Jean-François Clervoy, a good candidate must be an extremely motivated person, able to work in a multicultural team, calm in a stressful situation, mentally savvy "with an academic background, whether scientific, technical or operational. ".

She must also know how to verbalize and speak clearly: “She must know how to speak to the media.

They are ambassadors of their space agency, of their country and, somewhere, of humanity, ”adds the astronaut.

Develop profiles

For this “2021 vintage”, the European agency wants to “initiate a real generational change” and diversify its profiles.

“In my time, we were looking for people who had a very formal job, they were always fighter pilots or test pilots,” says Philippe Perrin.

Doctors, engineers, mathematicians, vulcanologists, biologists… From now on, all profiles are welcome.

ESA “strongly encourages women to apply” in order to “strengthen gender diversity in its ranks”.

In the previous campaign, only 16% of women had applied.

“I am sure the next astronaut will be a woman.

Thomas Pesquet is exceptional.

He set the bar very high.

To compete with him, a woman would be the most appropriate ”, hopes Philippe Perrin.

"We are not looking for the best humans on Earth, we are looking for the best for this job", summarizes Jean-François Clervoy.

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