ESA portrait of Andrea Patassa

Andrea Patassa was selected as a member of the ESA Astronaut Reserve in November 2022. He began his Astronaut Reserve training at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany, on 28 October 2024. The programme includes selected modules of ESA’s one-year basic training, typically completed by career astronauts, and equips members of the astronaut reserve with the skills needed to support Europe’s future space exploration and scientific research. Training covers technical and operational skills, spacecraft systems, survival exercises in water and winter conditions, as well as initial spacewalk training.