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Sławosz Uznański, a Polish scientist, has been selected by the European Space Agency to the ESA Astronaut Reserve.
The presentation of the astronauts was made by Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA on November 23 in Paris during the last day of the ESA Council at Ministerial level. ESA contracts will be awarded to 6 primary corps astronauts and 11 reserve astronauts. The former are practically guaranteed flights to the International Space Station (ISS) and possibly to participate in one of NASA’s lunar missions carried out with ESA. The substitutes can join them at any time and begin intensive training if ESA expands its manned programs, particularly the use of the ISS.
The selection of a Pole to this exclusive group is a massive success. Slawosz Uznański had to beat over 22,000 candidates from all over Europe in the ESA preliminaries, which lasted a year and a half. Candidates underwent various tests of knowledge regarding space and space technologies, intelligence and computational prowess, the ability to solve complex, unusual problems under time pressure, mental toughness and keeping a cool head under stress. They were subjected to detailed medical examinations and underwent a series of interviews.
