Your time has come – the ESA is looking for new astronauts

Have you got what it takes to enter the great beyond?

The European Space Agency (ESA) is looking for new astronauts for the first time in over a decade, and plans to recruit up to six career astronauts to join "humankind’s greatest adventure for the benefit of Earth". It is also looking for up to 20 people to join a pool of reserve astronauts. The space agency said it wants the next cohort of astronauts to be more diverse, with women being strongly encouraged to apply. Before you get too excited, there are a number of requirements that are necessary for those looking to apply for the role. The ESA said: "These include being a citizen of an ESA member state or associate state, holding the minimum of a Master’s degree in natural sciences, medicine, engineering, mathematics, or computer sciences or holding a degree as an experimental test pilot and/or test engineer from an official experimental test pilot school. "Candidates must have at least three years of relevant professional experience after graduation and be fluent in English. Good knowledge of another foreign language and any other additional language is a plus."