The European Space Agency's eagerly-awaited astronaut recruitment drive finally opens online today. The agency is looking to appoint at least four new spacefarers to bolster its ageing astronaut corp. Among those taken on could be the first European to walk on the moon.
Life doesn't get much more exciting than this. At least it doesn't if you're a space enthusiast who likes the idea of hurtling around Earth at 17,500mph or being paid to crack golf balls about on the moon. If you think you've got The Right Stuff, and have a medical certificate to prove you're not woefully unfit, then you can begin the application process here.
I've written a piece or two on this, and inevitably the question of whether ESA would select a British astronaut emerges as a major question. The problem is that while Britain is the fourth largest funder of the European Space Agency, none of the country's contribution supports human spaceflight, and is instead used for robotic missions.
Why would ESA select a Briton, knowing the government won't contribute a penny to the costs?
There are some strong arguments for and against human spaceflight. But talking to former astronauts, there is a real feeling that if Britain doesn't get on board soon, it will miss out on what promises to be the most exciting era of spaceflight ever.
Should Britain be taking part in human exploration of the solar system, or is it a hugely wasteful distraction from the excellent science being done by ground-based telescopes and robotic probes?
