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EAC - European Astronaut Training Center

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The Astronaut Training Division is an integral part of the international team of the European Astronaut Center (EAC). This team consists of employees of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian, French and German national space agencies (ASI, CNES and DLR), who work together on tasks in the field of European manned space flight. DLR contributes 20 specialists to the Astronaut Training Divison and three physicians to the Operational Medicine Division. In addition DLR provides the infrastructure of the Crew Training Center including a training hall, a diving pool as well as offices and control rooms. The European Astronaut Center serves as:

• Homebase of the European Astronauts
  The EAC is the homebase of ESA's astronaut teams. Currently the team consists of 16 astronauts from different ESA member states including four German astronauts. They are part of the EAC team which provides organizational and programmatic support.
  

• Astronaut Training Facility
  All European astronauts including those of international partners are trained for their tasks on all the European elements of the International Space Station. A complete set of training devices, simulators and support equipment is available at the EAC for this purpose.

• Medical Support
  One part of the EAC team is in charge of the medical care for the astronauts. The health status of the astronauts is continuously monitored, i.e. monitoring is exercised in the same way during preparation of a mission as it is during the actual mission. The care provided during a mission by the Crew Support Control Center of EAC aims to optimize the physical and mental fitness of the astronauts and sophisticated medical experiments.