Training for the stars: Rosemary Coogan on becoming an astronaut

<p>In this episode of the <em>Physics World Stories</em> podcast, Rosemary Coogan offers a glimpse into life as one of the European Space Agency&#8217;s newest astronauts. Selected as part of ESA&#8217;s 2022 cohort, she received astronaut certification in 2024, and is now in line to visit the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/">International Space Station</a> within the next five years. One day, she may even walk on the Moon as part of the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/">Artemis</a> programme.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Coogan explains what astronaut training really entails: classroom sessions packed with technical knowledge, zero-gravity parabolic flights, and underwater practice in Houston’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/neutral-buoyancy-laboratory/">neutral buoyancy pool</a>. Born in Northern Ireland, Coogan reflects on her personal journey. From a child dreaming of space, she went on to study physics and astrophysics ...