The European Space Agency is recruiting astronauts for the ISS

In connection with the recent surge of the activity of Europeans in space, the European Space Agency ( ESA ) has announced a set of astronauts for the flight to the International Space Station, writes The Sunday Times (full text on the website inopressa.ru .)

Not so long ago, the first unmanned ship Jules Verne was launched. And even earlier in February, the ESA "Columbus" laboratory arrived at the ISS, which requires a new generation of astronauts to conduct experiments.

The alleged mission will become a diverse in the national plan. The search for applicants will be held in 17 countries, including Finland, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and Great Britain. It is expected that out of the 400 millionth population of these countries, 22 thousand people will find the application, of which only 50 people are suitable for the picky requirements of the space agency.

The age of the ideal candidate should be from 27 to 37 years (in exceptional cases, the threshold may be shifted a couple of years). The candidate must have the degree of master or doctor of engineering, medical or natural sciences. A bachelor can be accepted only if he has a pilot’s license and sufficient flight experience.

A mandatory requirement is good knowledge of English, since it is the official language of the space center in Cologne. But the ISS itself will have to communicate with the Russians, so this language is also necessary.

A prerequisite is good health in the present and good forecasts of doctors for the future.

You need to be a leader, but if necessary, to clearly follow the instructions.

But the most important, according to the publication, is the ability to live six months in a closed space in a narrow circle of foreign colleagues.

The advertising company of the space agency for the search for staff is an unusual business, the publication believes. The last time, in 1992, European countries simply sent their candidates. Among the then astronauts were two Italians, two Frenchmen, Belgian, German, Dutchman and the Swede. The British did not participate in the European space program as astronauts thanks to Margaret Thatcher, who in 1986 decided that the best citizens of the kingdom should remain on earth.

Thus, only the most resourceful representatives of the British nation fell into space. Helen Sherman made a flight to the Mir station in 1991 thanks to the Russian Bank that paid her participation in the competition. Michael Foel from NASA was half an American. And his British colleague in the agency Pierce Sellers received American citizenship.

The current team includes some men. In accordance with the European principles of equality of sexes in ES, they would like to correct this situation, but according to them, women submit applications extremely rarely.

Nevertheless, male staff at the ISS has good chances to "dilute" the company. Two ladies have already announced their decision to submit an application to ES. One of them, 29-year-old Tracy Dikens, an astrophysicist from the University of Leuser, and 33-year-old Gail Ails defended his doctoral dissertation in Leister and is already working as a physicist at the space agency.

All applicants have to undergo interviews, psychological tests and medical examinations within three weeks. Later, they will undergo basic training and will receive a stitching special form for each. However, they will be able to make the first sorties only after four to five years. Then, instead of the initial salary of 43.6 thousand pounds, they will be able to earn up to 70.75 pounds per year minus taxes.

But the main award to the real astronaut is, of course, a view of the blue ball of the earth from the porthole of the spaceship.

The names of approved candidates will be known only next year.