Stuttgart researchers train ESA reserve astronauts

For the first time in ESA history, members of the reserve crew are now also undergoing comprehensive basic training. Once again, ESA drew on the expertise of researchers from the University of Stuttgart to provide technical training in space technology. As part of the Spaceflight and Aerospace Engineering course, which took place in September and October 2025 at ESA's European Astronaut Center (EAC) in Cologne, eight reserve astronauts were trained in the theoretical fundamentals of space technology.

The reserve team was selected in 2022 alongside the full-time ESA astronauts, whose basic training the university also supported in 2024. In contrast to their permanently employed colleagues, reserve astronauts maintain their existing professional careers, with ESA training serving as a secondary commitment.“We are delighted that ESA has placed its trust in us to now also teach reserve astronauts the basics of space technology,” says Professor Stefanos Fasoulas, Managing Director of the Institute of Space Systems (IRS).

The course teaches theoretical fundamentals and prepares reserve astronauts in areas such as planning, operation, and control of space missions, the space environment, aerodynamics, spacecraft subsystems, flight dynamics, navigation, and control systems. 

The team of lecturers included Stefanos Fasoulas, Professor of Space Transportation Technology and spokesperson for the ATLAS Collaborative Research Center, Sabine Klinkner, Professor of Satellite Technology, Claas Olthoff, Professor of Astronautics and Exploration, Dr. Constantin Traub postdoctoral researcher at the IRS, and Prof. Gisela Detrell, former postdoctoral researcher at the IRS and now Professor of Astronautical Space Technology at the Technical University of Munich.

The aim of the basic training is to provide participants from diverse academic backgrounds with a shared technical foundation for future missions. “Our courses were deliberately designed to be interactive and offered many opportunities for exchange,” explains Traub. “Math problems and technical discussions deepened their understanding and demonstrated the astronauts' high level of motivation to understand every detail.”

The IRS has been involved in training ESA astronauts since 2010 and has contributed to the training of Alexander Gerst and Matthias Mauerer, among others. Basic training is an important first step on the way to partaking in space missions – and perhaps even to the moon. “There is a high probability that a member of the 2022 astronaut class or the reserve will one day be the first European on the moon,” said Fasoulas.

Aerospace Research at the University of Stuttgart
Stuttgart’s aerospace sector is a nationally unique, interdisciplinary think tank for key technologies in space and on Earth. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart combine their expertise in climate and energy research, communication technology, propulsion systems, and AI-based aviation. A central focus is the development of sustainable technological solutions aimed at minimizing the environmental impact of aviation and spaceflight. As a partner of THE Aerospace LÄND, the University of Stuttgart contributes to the implementation of Baden-Württemberg's state strategy to make aerospace sustainable, digital, and cooperative by 2050. Research is conducted on an interdisciplinary basis and in close cooperation with regional and international partners from science and industry, for example within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centers ATLAS (SFB 1667) and SynTrac (SFB-TRR 364).