2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group

Lore & Background

The recruitment campaign was announced in February 2021, with applications accepted from 31 March to 18 June 2021. Over 22,000 applications were received, a 2.8-fold increase over the previous selection. The deadline was extended by two weeks (to 18 June 2021) primarily due to high demand and technical issues. Women were particularly encouraged to apply, and 24% of applicants were women, up from 15.3% in the prior campaign. The largest number of applicants came from France, followed by Germany.

Reader's Guide

The 2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group represents a significant expansion of the European Astronaut Corps, adding both career and reserve astronauts to support long-duration ISS missions and the Artemis program. The inclusion of a parastronaut candidate marked a pioneering step toward inclusivity in human spaceflight. The group's training and mission assignments, such as Marcus Wandt's flight on Axiom-3 and Sławosz Uznański's on Axiom-4, demonstrate ESA's growing collaboration with commercial partners. The class name 'The Hoppers' was given upon graduation of the career astronauts in April 2024. Their recruitment process, with over 22,000 applicants, reflects sustained public interest in space exploration.

Did You Know?

• The class name 'The Hoppers' was given to the five career astronauts upon their graduation from basic training in April 2024; the reserve astronauts did not undergo the same basic training and were not part of that gradu