At only 30 years old, Anthea Comellini is one of those who has already lived many lives in a very short period of time. You will inevitably hear about it in the weeks to come… The young Italian, an engineer at Thales Alenia Space in Cannes, was recently selected by the European Space Agency as a reserve astronaut. She is one of the 17 lucky winners chosen from among the 22,500 candidates in competition.
If the ESA were to assign her an in-flight mission, Anthea will follow the same training as confirmed astronauts. It could thus be brought to integrate the International Space Station or to participate in NASA’s ARTEMIS program, which provides for the return of astronauts to the Moon from 2025.
The class of 2022 ESA astronauts includes 5 confirmed astronauts, 11 reservists, including Anthea, and one person with a disability. A veritable obstacle course, the selection took place over almost a year and a half.
To learn more about Anthea’s career and her selection, find her portrait online
