He is one of the 17 scientists chosen by the European Space Agency in November 2022. Arno Prost is an engineer at the Easter military base and is now a replacement astronaut. He is the third French player to join the squad, along with Thomas Pesquet and Sophie Adinot. painting.
His daily life he spends with his head in the clouds. Arno Prost, flight test engineer.
Its headquarters is the Command Test Room in the heart of the Easter military base, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. When our teams meet him, his eyes are glued to the control screens, he is making sure that the test flight of the Alpha jet, an aircraft used by the French patrol, is running smoothly.
But Arnault sees far beyond the stratosphere. “My goal is to take part in a space flight. To be part of a team that will bring scientific results back to Earth and inspire younger generations.”
Despite his new backup astronaut tape, he knows it, there’s a good chance he’ll stay on Earth. Selected as a replacement in the European Space Agency team, he may never be asked to leave Earth, like his colleague Thomas Pesquet.
But the engineer remains a philosopher. “Even if I don’t go into space, I must turn around with the certainty that I’ve done something extraordinary.”
Arnaud Prost’s calling goes back to his childhood when he read Aim for the Moon, the episode in which Tintin wears an astronaut suit. Passionate passion cost my choices..
Great studies start. After the baccalaureate and preparation in Marseille, he entered the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris.
Diploma in hand, joined the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), andorce of experience, testing and engineering from the Ministry of the Armed Forces. For him, this is just one step towards his project: to become an astronaut.
“Teaming up on exciting topics, delving into technical topics, running peak tests, becoming a pilot…were all steps toward the goal of going into space.”
The opportunity is set in 2021, when the European Space Agency has launched a selection process for future astronauts. The previous promotion, Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, took over in 2009.
Participation conditions: To be under 50 years old, to have a scientific baccalaureate +5, to have three years of experience in the field of his professional activity and to speak English. Arno, who is not yet thirty, goes to him.
He was placed in competition with 22,500 other candidates. After three selection stages, he was one of the last 100 candidates. In the end, they will only be seventeen to successfully pass the medical examination and interview with the Director of the European Space Agency.
Only five astronauts have been named, including Frenchwoman Sophie Adenot. You might be lucky enough to walk on the moon one day.
This goal is uncertain for Arnaud, a reservist. “I don’t have any guarantees of going to space one day. But all of these efforts I’ve made to qualify, I’m getting the most out of it every single day,” comments the engineer.
So he will continue his work at Easter base always with that dream in mind. Now very close. Every year, he will have to go to the European Space Agency for a comprehensive medical examination. He may be asked to participate in educational missions or experiments. With that certainty of being a part of the space adventure.
He also plans to train the next few years to be “As prepared as possible when needed.” Don’t leave the moon lens.
“Music guru. Incurable web practitioner. Thinker. Lifelong zombie junkie. Tv buff. Typical organizer. Evil beer scholar.”
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