Selected as one of 12 finalists from thousands of applicants for astronaut training based on ESA criteria, I underwent a program designed by Astronaut Chris Hadfield, former NASA medical researcher Dr. Kevin Fong, and psychologist Dr. Iya Whiteley. The program included helicopter piloting, simulated splashdown and underwater capsule escape, phlebotomy, operating the Mars Rover ‘Bridget,’ Soyuz capsule docking, earning a PADI Open Water certification, and learning basic spoken Russian.