Alexander Gerst

Born: 3 May 1976
Nationality: German
Hobbies: fencing, swimming and running, skydiving, snowboarding, hiking, mountaineering, climbing and scuba diving

Alexander graduated from the Technical High School in Germany in 1995. He studied geophysics at University and then completed a master’s degree in Earth Sciences in New Zealand. During his school education, Gerst also volunteered as a fire-fighter and water rescue lifeguard. He is studying volcanic eruption dynamics at the Institute of Geophysics in Germany.

Gerst was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009.