Rosemary Coogan, who hails from Northern Ireland, has been officially commended as an astronaut after successfully completing her training with the European Space Agency (ESA). After a year-long challenging primary training, Ms Coogan and five of her peers were awarded their astronaut qualifications at the European Astronaut Centre situated in Cologne, Germany, rendering them fit for space travel.
An expert in astrophysics holding dual master’s degrees from Durham University and a doctorate in astronomy from Sussex, she entered the ESA’s astronaut training initiative in 2022, outpacing 22,500 contestants. Born and raised in Northern Ireland and later in Southern England, Ms Coogan has always harboured a dream of becoming an astronaut.
Expressing her sentiments at the graduation ceremony, she revealed that space has always been of intriguing appeal to her. The excitement of venturing as an astronaut to conduct outstanding science and bring back the knowledge feels like a dream realising into reality for her.
In the immediate future, the batch of new astronauts, inclusive of a candidate from the Australian Space Agency, are to be appointed for operations at the International Space Station where they will execute scientific experiments.
Their career progression before embarking on space missions is peppered with operational commitments within the ESA. This includes refresher training schedules, keeping up physical fitness, interacting in public relations endeavours, and playing a role in academic activities with public outreach.
NI Space has lauded Ms Coogan’s achievement as a significant landmark for Northern Ireland’s space sector. Robert Hill, a space consultant and cluster manager at NI Space, is hopeful that this milestone will inspire a new generation of astronauts from Northern Ireland. He stated that having Ms. Coogan as their first astronaut while the region is emerging as a global leader with various high-profile projects, like the James Webb Space Telescope, is a feather in their cap. The entire community is keenly looking forward to witnessing Ms. Coogan’s voyage into space and supporting her with their cheers.