Germany to Send First European Astronaut Around the Moon on Artemis Mission
Europe has secured its first astronaut seat to orbit the Moon through NASA’s Artemis program, marking a historic milestone for ESA. Director General Josef Aschbacher confirmed that a German astronaut will take the inaugural European lunar-orbit mission, enabled by Europe’s contributions to Orion’s service module and the Lunar Gateway. Veteran astronauts Matthias Maurer and Alexander Gerst are leading candidates for the Artemis flights planned for 2028–2030.
