The European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed that Marco Sieber, a doctor from Kirchberg, Canton Bern, will be going to space. The soon-to-be astronaut has already started basic training for his trip to the cosmos.
Speaking to Blick, the ESA confirmed that the 34-year-old Swiss citizen will be officially appointed as an astronaut in the spring of 2024. At a press conference in Cologne, they announced that he has now started his astronaut training.
"I'm looking forward to the practical lessons," Sieber told the media. He explained that the first few months will be focused on basic training: participating in biology and physics courses alongside the required sports training.
12 months later, Sieber will be officially appointed as an astronaut and assigned a specific mission. Mission-specific training, relating to what the mission entails like hands-on exercises and tech training, will then follow. Then, he will finally join the more than 600 people that have travelled to space so far.
Once he has rocketed into the sky and crossed into the great black abyss, Sieber will become the second Swiss person to go to space - and the first from German-speaking Switzerland. The first was Claude Nicollier from Canton Vaud, who went on four space shuttle missions starting in 1992 - becoming the first-ever non-American NASA astronaut.
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