Namur-born Raphaël Liégeois selected for ESA space missions

The European Space Agency (@ESA) on Wednesday announced a team of eight new European career astronauts, including Namur-born Raphaël Liégeois. The team was announced at the end of the ESA Ministerial Council in Paris, which was attended by space ministers of the 22 Member States.

The ESA’s new class of astronauts includes five career astronauts, 11 members of the astronaut reserve, and one astronaut with a disability. Liégeois, along with other astronauts, will be trained for several months in Germany.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher (@AschbacherJosef) introduced the first new recruits in 13 years at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, France.