Swiss student astronaut: “I’m not a daredevil or an adrenaline junkie”

As a child, he read books about the universe and assembled rockets with his brother. But then space fell into oblivion for Marco Sieber. Now he is closer to him than ever before: he is part of the 17-strong astronaut class that the European Space Agency has put together from 22,500 candidates. The training will start in the spring of next year at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne.

Congratulations! After Claude Nicollier, you are only the second Swiss to pass the selection process for astronauts at the European Space Agency (ESA). Has he congratulated you yet?
Marco Sieber: Yes, he sent me an email. We’ve been in touch before. When I requested the procedure, I asked him for advice. I didn’t think he would answer, but he wrote back to me at length. And told me to report if I survive the next round of testing. So he kind of became my mentor

What were the tests you had to do?
First, like any other job, I had to submit a resume and cover letter. Then there were cognitive tests that tested mathematical reasoning, spatial reasoning and memory. Psychological tests were added later, followed by medical performance testing. At the end there was an interview with the Director General of ESA, Josef Aschbacher

Were you surprised to get this far?
Of course I didn’t expect that. With so many applicants, that is almost impossible. After the first round I thought, “That’s it for now.” Still, I made progress. And that also in the following tests. The tricky thing is that you don’t know exactly what you’re looking at. And suddenly I survived the last round

Have you ever gotten cold feet and asked yourself: do I really want that?
The further I got, the more I thought about it. In the end, however, I was absolutely convinced that this was what I wanted

You’re a doctor. That doesn’t seem like typical astronaut training to us.
There aren’t either. A completed academic education is required. There are some doctors among the ESA and NASA astronauts. But of course also biologists, physicists, geologists and test pilots. It is important that a team is composed broadly. Medicine is a field that is also being explored in space. In addition, it is of course an advantage if you have a doctor on board, after all, you must know how to help yourself in a medical emergency.​

But when you look at your resume, you don’t think: he’s definitely going to be an astronaut.
Well, being an astronaut was always one of my childhood dreams

Ours once was too. But it remained a dream. What was different about them?
I was not put off by the competition. Six years ago I saw that you can apply as a Swiss. Then I got more information and just tried it. I was lucky that an opportunity just opened up. It was ESA’s first application process since 2008. It is uncertain when the next one will come

You are 33 years old. The optimal age for a future astronaut?
You can apply up to the age of 50. So there are also older candidates. younger too. After your studies you must have three years of professional experience

How much does an astronaut actually earn, as much as a doctor?
About the same as an intern. A good wage. But I don’t do it for the money

They’re paratroopers, paramedics, paragliders, divers, ski mountaineers – it’s definitely an advantage to be a daredevil and adrenaline junkie as an astronaut.
I wouldn’t call myself a daredevil or an adrenaline junkie. If you look at the accident statistics, skydiving isn’t particularly dangerous either. It always depends on how you practice such sports. A reasonable risk assessment is important, so sometimes say no if something seems too dangerous. And you are forced to make quick decisions. Mastering all of this is also an advantage as an astronaut.​

And what are you doing now?
First a basic training, which lasts about a year and in which you have to take exams again and again. You have to learn to dive and fly – I can do both a little. Since Russian is the second official language on board the ISS, Russian lessons are part of the training. There is also survival training and you learn about the construction and operation of the International Space Station

What follows after this basic training?
Then the missions are assigned and you prepare them explicitly

What will your mission be?
I don’t know yet, but it will probably go to the ISS.

And soon to the moon?
Well, astronaut flights to the moon are planned again – the first in more than 50 years. The experienced astronauts from ESA and NASA will certainly be the first to arrive here. But who knows how that will develop, maybe there will be even more possibilities one day.

Would you dare to climb into a moon rocket?
Naturally. That would be a great experience. And it would be great as an astronaut and researcher to help people live permanently on the moon.

Why on the moon? The living conditions are much more inhospitable than at the North Pole.
Of course, the moon is exciting from a scientific point of view. The insights that can be gained there help to better understand the solar system and the universe. Also: if humanity really wants to go to Mars and maybe even further into space, the moon provides an ideal testbed to find out how to live in a hostile environment. This requires a lot of technical resources – especially when it comes to recycling. This in turn generates an advantage for life on Earth.​

Would you climb into Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket?
The European astronauts are currently being transported in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. So yes, you have to go in there.

Would you fly to Mars too?
That’s still a long way off. There are still many technical, medical and psychological challenges to be solved. A mission would last more than 500 days and how to deal with the radiation exposure is still not clear. But of course I’m interested as long as there’s a plan for a return flight and it’s not a one-way mission. (bzbasel.ch).