ESA proposes Marcus Wandt from Sweden to fly on a future Axiom space mission

Thursday, 15 June 2023

Media representatives are invited to a press event on Friday 16 June at 16:00 CEST in Stockholm with Marcus Wandt, member of the ESA astronaut reserve, and learn more about a future spaceflight with Axiom Space.

Marcus Wandt was selected in November 2022 as a member of the ESA astronaut reserve after a year-long selection process. The 2022 ESA recruitment campaign received more than 22 5000 applications from across its Member States.

The Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA), together with other partners, is cooperating with ESA and commercial space company Axiom Space to support a future mission to space with Marcus Wandt. ESA is currently in the process of coordinating this mission.

ESA and SNSA are working on a proposal for an ambitious scientific, technological, and educational programme for Marcus that can be carried out inside Europe’s Columbus laboratory.

Marcus joined the European Astronaut Corps on 1 June as an ESA project astronaut for the duration of his mission duties.

The Swedish astronaut is following intensive training program to meet the high standards required for space flight.

Marcus Wandt was born in 1980 and has an extensive experience as a military jet and test pilot for the Swedish Air Force.

Media registration

Journalists who would like to attend the press conference in person or via Zoom need to register no later than Friday 16 June at 14:30 CEST. Please contact Linnea Ilbring (linnea.ilbring@regeringskansliet.se) with your name, affiliation and whether you wish to join in person or virtually.

Press Conference details

Time: 16:00 (doors open at 15:30)

Venue: Rödbodgatan 6, Stockholm or via Zoom

ESA Web TV offers a livestreaming of the complete event (from 16:00): www.esa.int/ESA_Web_TV

Participants

• David Parker, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration
• Mats Persson, Swedish Minister for Education
• Marcus Wandt, ESA project astronaut

For interviews with Mr David Parker and Mr Markus Wandt, please contact media@esa.int .

More information about Marcus Wandt

Biography

Video interview

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About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Source: ESA