For days, a surprising and hopeful rumor had resounded in the aerospace world in equal measure. Something that had not been heard for three decades. A Spaniard (or Spanish) could be among those chosen to be part of the new generation of astronauts of the European Space Agency (THIS). The same one that led to Pedro Duke to International Space Station (ISS) and now does not want to be left behind in the new space race. The surprise came when not one, but two Spanish astronauts were named. Stick with their names, because you’ll be hearing them a lot from now on: Pablo Alvarez Fernandez y Sara Garcia Alonso.
The first, chosen as a “career” astronaut (that is, on the ESA staff, so he will have to leave his current job at Airbus), he began to seriously consider being an astronaut in 2014, while reviewing the ESA requirements for this position. “However, a perfect physique was required, and I have a small ankle disability, so I thought it was out,” he explained yesterday at an online press conference with journalists after the announcement, carried out in Paris, where has been held on ESA Interministerial Council (in which the member states decide the future of the agency, and in which a budget of 16.9 billion euros has been agreed for the next five years). Fernández recounted that when he saw that the space agency was opening the call to people with some physical disability, he thought it was his time. “But a few hours before the official announcement I found out that I am finally a career astronaut and that the first parastronaut program will take place with the British John McFallan amazing partner. It was quite a surprise.”
Moving to Germany
He, together with the British McFall, his countrywoman, the astronomer Rosemary CooganFrench test pilot Sophie AdenotBelgian neuroscientist Raphael Liegeois and the Swiss anesthesiologist Marco Sieber They are the six chosen from among more than 22,500 candidates (1,300 of them Spanish). In April, they will all move to Germany, where they will start training at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne. “From there I have at least three years of training left, and then, if I’m lucky, I’ll fly to the ISS,” explained Álvarez. When asked if he dreams of participating in Artemis, NASA’s new program to take astronauts to the Moon and in which ESA has reserved three seats in payment for their participation, his answer exuded hope after a day of surprises: « After everything that has happened to us, why not dream of being the first Spaniard to set foot on it?
At the moment, Álvarez is only thinking about starting training, although he and García Alonso are the candidates with the most ballots to become the third and fourth astronaut of Spanish origin (Michael López-Alegría, who repeated the feat with his own company a few months ago, flew to the ISS before Duque) in flying into space.
Although the case of Sara García Alonso is different: she has been chosen from the group of eleven substitute astronauts, so he will not leave his job at the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) in the group of the renowned scientist Mariano Barbacid. “She is a super competent researcher and she has done very interesting work in the time she has been in my laboratory,” she told ABC Barbacid after hearing the news. “I am very happy, because I love my job,” said García Alonso for his part.
Even so, he will have to pass medical exams and specific training every year, in addition to being available for missions that may require his abilities, a priori far from the aerospace sector. «As a child, it crossed my mind, like all children, to be an astronaut; but it wasn’t until the offer came out that I seriously considered it. Being an astronaut is not just getting on a rocket, it is much more: it is researching, disseminating science, creating concerns in the next generations; all in an adventurous and multicultural environment. I think all of that is what they have seen in me and what made me realize that it was my life’s work.”
11 hour exams
Gone are marathon exams of ten or eleven hours with content ranging from languages to spatial orientation, psychological tests, psychometric and practical tests, medical selection and two rounds of interviews. “Those days you end up very tired,” Álvarez said while García Alonso nodded next to him. «But at no time do you consider giving up. You are lucky to have made it this far. We are very happy and proud, but we also feel very humbled.” All candidates, without distinction, had to be European citizens with a degree and three years of experience in areas such as Natural Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, Mathematics or Computer Science. It was also worth being experienced pilots. In addition, fluent English was required and knowledge of other languages was valued.
The two, who were accompanied at the press conference by the Minister of Science, Diana MorantThey explained that, although only they were chosen, a camaraderie has been created among the Spanish candidates that will not end with the tests. “There are already collaborations underway and we can expect great things for the future,” said Álvarez.
Both of them, who happen to be from León and studied at the same university, explained that their families supported them from the beginning. “When you get into something like that, it’s a bit like buying the lottery, you have the same chances,” said García Alonso. But then you start passing tests, and they start to worry.” “It is difficult for any father or mother to imagine his son riding on the tip of a rocket on the way to space,” Álvarez pointed out. “Even so, without them this would not have been possible.”