Following in the footsteps of the Hispanic-American Miguel López-Alegría and Pedro Duque, the aeronautical engineer Pablo Álvarez has the possibility of being the third Spaniard to travel to space. He has just graduated from the European Astronaut Center of the European Space Agency (ESA) after passing a year of high-performance training. Astronaut salaries are public and range from just over 5,000 euros per month to almost 7,500, depending on experience and achievements.
During the graduation of the class of 2022, which was held at the European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Conference, Pablo Álvarez revealed where his passion came from: “I was about 4 or 5 years old and I was looking at the moon in the mountains. “Possible subject My small town in Spain and someone told me that there had been people who had walked on the moon. “I was disappointed that only 12 people who had walked on the moon would become astronauts,” he stated.
Although he abandoned his dream during his student years, he recovered it when he saw an ESA advertisement in which they were looking for new astronauts. “I thought it was a train I had to catch,” says the 35-year-old. And well he took it. The Leonese was selected along with four other colleagues among 22,500 applicants. Those chosen along with Pablo Álvarez were the French Sophie Adenot, the British Rosemary Coogan, the Belgian Raphaël Liégeois and the Swiss Marco Alain Sieber. Australian Katherine Bennell-Pegg has also done so for a collaboration with her country’s space agency. Meanwhile, the Spanish biotechnologist Sara García stayed within a reserve of 12.
More than 300 people, between the ESA headquarters in Cologne and later around the world, were involved in the training of the five new astronauts, who now have a total of 11. Aspects as varied as biology were trained for a year. fundamental, medicine, spacecraft, flight engineering, robotics and life support systems, Russian language, astronomy, astrophysics and meteorology.
Pablo Álvarez and his companions will have the first opportunity to fly into space at the earliest in early 2026, according to the flight plan negotiated with NASA and other partners of the International Space Station. Those selected will undergo training that allows them to “be ready” to fly to an orbital platform. They are all scheduled to fly to the International Space Station before 2030.
What training is needed to be an astronaut?
The European Space Agency (ESA) REQUIRES CANDIDATES TO BE OF AGE AND UNDER 50 YEARS OF AGE, TO HAVE POSTGRADUATE STUDIES RELATED TO SCIENCE, ADVANCED ENGLISH OR (C1) THREE YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN SCIENCE, MEDICINE, MATHEMATICS, Technology or similar and pass an exhaustive medical examination. Applicants cannot drink or smoke and must be in optimal physical condition. In any case, people with certain disabilities can apply.
In the case of Pablo Álvarez, he has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and later studied a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at the Warsaw Polytechnic University. As a professional experience, he highlights his work as a structural engineer and mechanical architect at Airbus.
Once these academic and professional requirements are met, ESA has a tough selection process. It is made up of cognitive tests, coordination, personality, psychomotor skills or the ability to work as a team. They must demonstrate good memory, reasoning, concentration, be sociable and empathetic. Those who pass them have to undergo another medical examination. And finally, appear for two personal interviews where they must demonstrate their technical skills, as well as educational knowledge and verify that they have no criminal record.
How much money will Pablo Álvarez earn as an ESA astronaut?
As in most professions, the salary paid by the European Space Agency increases with experience and the passing of the years. The initial salary is about 5,170 euros per month (62,000 euros net per year), as reported on the website. This is what these five astronauts have earned during their training period.
Once basic training is completed, this figure increases to 6,378 per month (76,500 euros annually). This is the amount that Pablo Álvarez currently earns once he has graduated. And when he makes his first space flight, the Spaniard and his fellow astronauts will earn 7,405 per month (88,900 euros per year). Salaries at NASA, the American agency, are quite similar and range from 58,900 to 91,100 euros per year.
