Germany announced its two finalists on April 19. They will be trained to be the first female astronaut. Military pilot Nicola Baumann and meteorologist Insa Thiele-Eich were selected from a pool of 400 applicants.
Six finalists were chosen by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) after going through psychological and medical tests. The two women were shortlisted. They will both undergo training but only one will fly to the International Space Station (ISS), the other will serve as backup.
Their two-year training will start later this year.
