Northern Irish Astronaut Rosemary Coogan and Four New European Colleagues Graduate from Space Training
Five new astronauts, including Northern Ireland's own Rosemary Coogan, have graduated from the European Space Agency (ESA) after completing a year of rigorous training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. The graduation ceremony marked the fourth class since 1978 and brought the total number of ESA astronauts to 11.
Coogan, an astrophysicist with degrees from Durham University and Sussex University, was selected for the program in 2022 after beating over 22,500 applicants. She will become the UK's third astronaut following Helen Sharman and Tim Peake.
The newcomers underwent extensive training to hone skills in spacecraft systems, spacewalking, flight engineering, robotics and life support systems. They also received survival and medical training.
The graduates include Sophie Adenot from France, a helicopter test pilot; Pablo Alvarez Fernandez from Spain, an aeronautical engineer; Raphael Liegeois from Belgium, a biomedical engineer and neuroscientist; Marco Sieber from Switzerland, an emergency physician and paratrooper sergeant; and Katherine Bennell-Pegg from Australia.
The new astronauts are now eligible for spaceflight assignments to the International Space Station (ISS) or future missions beyond. The European Space Agency has negotiated with NASA for three places on Artemis moon missions, although these spots will likely go to more senior astronauts.
Coogan's journey began when she applied in 2018 and was selected in 2022. She underwent a series of interviews, medical tests, and psychological evaluations before starting her training. The program included academic studies, survival training, and physical conditioning.
The European Space Agency's astronaut corps has a rich history of achievements. ESA astronauts have contributed to numerous scientific projects on the ISS and collaborated with NASA on various missions. The agency is also working on the Orion crew capsule for future space exploration beyond Earth's orbit.
The graduation ceremony was held at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, where the new astronauts will continue their training before being assigned to missions. Coogan and her colleagues are now part of an elite group of individuals who have undergone extensive training to explore the unknown reaches of space.
