Swiss Astronaut Marco Sieber Passes Probation Period
Published: Saturday, Oct 14th 2023, 08:20
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Marco Sieber, a 34-year-old Swiss astronaut, has successfully completed his six-month probation period as part of his one-year astronaut training program. He is currently training at the European Space Agency (ESA) in Cologne, Germany, alongside four other candidates. After completing the basic training, the new astronauts will be assigned to a mission. Sieber's first flight to the International Space Station (ISS) is expected to take place between 2026 and 2030. His dream destination is the moon, as no European has yet taken a step on another celestial body. He does not consider a one-way mission to Mars at this time, as the technology is not yet advanced enough for a safe journey.
So far, Sieber and his colleagues have mainly been learning theory, building background knowledge in biology, medicine, physics and technology, as well as taking a photography course. They also have diving lessons to learn how to move outside the space station, and fitness training to prevent muscle loss in space. They must also learn Russian to a B1 level by the end of the basic training.
Sieber hopes to inspire young people, just as the first Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier did. He considers it an honour to have met Nicollier. His salary as an astronaut is comparable to that of an assistant doctor, but not as high as a doctor with certain specialisations or a private practice.
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