Two years ago, for the first time after 13 years, the European Space Organization (ESA) again selected again astronauts for future missions. They were chosen from over 22,500 applicants. On February 6 they paid a visit to EOC as part of their basic training.
This astronaut training also includes basic instruction in earth observation. In the course of this further education the visitors received at EOC an in-depth introduction to selected, socially-relevant applications for remote sensing. EOC scientists showed them how earth observation can be used to monitor the highly dynamic evolution of urban areas and to establish a foundation for planning their management. Among other topics it was shown how satellites can help to determine air quality in cities so that any additional health risk for their inhabitants can be estimated.
In addition, up-to-date examples demonstrated how satellite data can be useful in natural disasters and humanitarian crises. At the EOC Center for Satellite Based Crises Information (ZKI) the incipient astronauts received an indication of how maps for crisis response teams can be created from satellite data. This was followed by a discussion about how images based on data from the International Space Station (ISS) could in the future augment timely crisis information.
A visit to the geovisualization lab was a special final highlight. The ESA candidates were enthusiastic about a three-dimensional virtual reality application that enabled them to see how rapidly the use of space had increased in recent years and how space debris will become an ever-increasing threat to that use
ESA astronaut candidates at EOC
The ESA astronaut candidates at the EOC service lab
