Roscosmos Seeks New Cosmonauts: Future Space Explorers Wanted

Roscosmos is actively seeking new recruits for its cosmonaut corps, announcing a new enrollment campaign approved by CEO Dmitry Bakanov. The selection process is designed to identify candidates with strong academic backgrounds and practical experience.

Applicants must be under 35 years old by the end of 2025 and hold a university degree in engineering, natural sciences, or medicine, with a minimum GPA of 4.0 on Russia's five-point scale. A minimum of three years of professional experience in their respective fields is also required. Candidates must meet stringent health and physical requirements, including specific height and weight parameters and the absence of chronic medical conditions.

The recruitment involves a two-stage process. Initially, applications will undergo a remote review. Promising candidates will then proceed to in-person testing, evaluating their aptitude for mastering space technology, foundational knowledge in physics and mathematics, and proficiency in a European language such as English, Italian, Spanish, German, or French. Assessed will also be their literacy, knowledge of space history, and world culture.

This follows the fourth open recruitment drive, which concluded in December 2023 and resulted in four individuals joining the cosmonaut training program. The previous campaign saw 296 applications evaluated, including a notable number from women and specialists within the rocket and space industry.