Aleš Svoboda during VR robotics training

ESA astronaut reserve member Aleš Svoboda from Czechia during a robotics and virtual reality training session as part of the Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) programme.

In spring 2026, the members of ESA’s astronaut reserve returned to the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, for the final block of their training. ART prepares members of the European astronaut reserve by providing the broad technical, operational and scientific foundation required to support future human spaceflight opportunities.