In recent times, with the various space missions that are taking place at the moment, the aerospace area has gained relevance. The European Space Agency (ESA) has opened 26 slots for new astronauts.
There are 321 applications from Portugal alone (more men than women).
Portugal with 260 men and 61 women for possible astronaut…
According to ESA, 260 men competed for astronauts, including four with some physical disability, and 61 women. Remember that the application process was opened on March 31st and ended last Friday, June 18th.
With regard to vacancies, there are for four to six permanent astronauts and for 20 reserve astronauts, including for the first time an astronaut with a physical disability (which can be less than 1.30 meters in height, one or two prostheses below the knee or ankle level and dysmetria, leg length difference).
In all, 22,846 people from 25 eligible European countries applied, including 257 with a physical disability. Of the total number of candidates, 17,367 are men and 5,479 are women.
Currently, the only woman in the active corps of seven ESA astronauts is Italian Samantha Cristoforetti, the first person to make an espresso on the International Space Station (ISS) in Earth orbit, and who in 2022 will become the first European to command the EEI.
Hugo Costa, director of the Portuguese space agency Portugal Space, said that…
the increase in the number of Portuguese candidates is the result of the growth of space activities in Portugal, which increases the attraction for the sector [mas também] the reflection of the excellent quality of human resources coming out of national universities in search of truly extraordinary challenges and which are, without a doubt, an encouragement for the future of the space in Portugal”
France, Germany and Italy are the three countries with the most candidates, Portugal is the 11th country out of 22 ESA Member States and three Associated States.
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