The European Space Agency (ESA) has presented six new astronauts to begin training for missions to the International Space Station "and beyond."

The successful candidates are Italy's Samantha Cristoforetti and Luca Parmitano, Britain's Timothy Peake, Denmark's Andreas Mogensen, France's Thomas Pesquet and Germany's Alexander Gerst.

They were chosen from a pool of 8,413 hopefuls in a Europe-wide recruitment drive that began last year. The six new space travellers are the first new recruits to join the European Astronaut Corps since 1992, under the second-ever astronaut selection carried out by the ESA.

New generation

ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said the astronauts have been chosen at a "turning point" in the organization's human space flight activities.

"We are now entering a new phase of utilization of the unique capabilities offered by the ISS (International Space Station) and preparation for international exploration of the Moon and beyond," he said.

The new recruits are between 31 and 37 years old, and will join the eight existing members of the European Astronaut Corps - all of whom are men - in training for upcoming missions.

Dordain said that, assuming the ISS operational mandate is extended to 2020, there would be at least seven ESA missions to the space station. He also suggested that a joint mission to the Moon with NASA and other international space organizations was a distinct possibility.

"According to NASA plans, a crew will be on the Moon by 2020, which is tomorrow for these young astronauts," he said.

Which is scarier?

The new recruits seemed more concerned by the media frenzy in Paris on Wednesday than by the prospect of a life as a space adventurer.

"I am not sure which is scarier, sitting in from of a roomful of journalists, or sitting on top of a rocket one day and blasting off into space," said Andreas Mogensen, when asked if he had the jitters after being selected.

The six astronauts will begin 18 months of "basic" training in September.

msh/AFP/dpa
Editor: Nancy Isenson