Andrea Patassa during NBF training

ESA astronaut reserve member Andrea Patassa from Italy during a diving training session in ESA's Neutral Buoyancy Facility (NBF) 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.