Swiss man begins astronaut training, ESA confirms
By Jan de Boer
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.
Swiss man headed to space from 2024
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.
Marco Sieber becomes second Swiss person to go to space
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.
Thumb image credit: Shutterstock.com / vicspacewalker
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more