FAQs
Astronauts recruitment
You can find the complete set of requirements on our website, on the astronaut recruitment page. Additionally, at the start of the recruitment process, usually around December, we post on our social media platforms specific information with the detailed selection criteria and timeline. You can follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to be informed as soon as possible!
We generally look for candidates with a STEM background, but we deliberately try to maximise for diversity within that. What you bring to a team is more important that your university degree – a crew needs complementary skills, not identical ones.
The only strict requirement that we have is to be a student, and be over 18 years old. You need to be enrolled in a university or pursuing a PhD, but there are no age limits.
The application process opens once per mission, usually around January. The application process lasts approximately 6 months, consisting of 4 different phases. More information can be found on our astronaut recruitment page.
Yes, of course! The application process is highly competitive, and a rejection should not be seen as an assessment on your individual talent. We do not simply pick the top individuals, but rather the best crew. The selection is also influenced by the diversity and compatibility of that specific pool of candidates. We strongly encourage rejected candidates to ask for feedback, implement it, and reapply the following year.
Yes, candidates must be in good health and fitness level. You will be required to undergo medical evaluations and submit medical certificates. Additionally, your fitness level will be evaluated on the last phase of the selection, which will be quite physically demanding.
There is no cost to submit your application. If you reach the last phase of the application, you will be required to be here in person. Travel, accomodation, and food will not be covered by Asclepios, but we can support you in obtaining funding from your university. For the selected candidates, training costs are completely covered by Asclepios. Depending on the mission budget, you might only be asked to cover your travel expenses.
Training slightly varies mission by mission, but typically includes online training on science, medicine, psychology, space physiology, followed by in-person technical training. You will most likely receive extreme environment training, parabolic flight training, and scubadiving training. Additional specific training tailored to your role will also be part of the mission preparation.
Scientific experiments
You can find more information on our website, on the science projects page. Additionally, at the start of the call for projects, usually around January, we post on our social media platforms specific information with the detailed selection criteria that we will use to select the projects. You can follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to be informed as soon as possible!
It is the PIs responsibility to understand whether the proposed experiment requires ethical approval, both from their research lab, and from the Swiss ethical committee. We have developed a support document for the PIs regarding the Swiss ethical approval, which you can download here.
The ethical approval process should be started as soon as possible. Progress in the ethical approval, for the projects that require it, is one of the selection criteria. If this cannot be done in time, we will require proof of the undertaken process or at least clear readiness and a detailed roadmap to obtain it well in advance for the mission.
Asclepios is a non-profit organization, therefore we can only provide limited funding solutions. It is therefore preferred if the project is already supported by a laboratory, company or organisation which can help with getting some resources.
Yes, of course! However, do keep in mind that if your project requires an ethical approval, you might need to be supported by an entity such as a lab, company or organisation that could help you get the ethical approval.
Yes of course, you can apply as a team but make sure you only send one application per project.
There is no cost to submit your application.
Usually, the PIs of the projects are not required to attend in person, as the astronauts are the only ones allowed to interact with the projects during the mission. However, if you wish to visit the base this can be arranged and there is no special permission required.
A confidentiality agreement has been signed by each member of the science team and by all of the selection committee who will be responsible for the selection process.
We have absolutely no restriction on the researchers’ nationality or country of residence. We are happy to receive projects from all around the world. The selection process will only be based on the project following the criteria available on the website. The applicant’s personal details won’t have any impact in the proposal evaluation.
If you did not manage to have your project performed last year, you can still apply this year, either with the same project or a new one. You will still have to go through the same process as new proposals.
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