Matthias Maurer: How to become a lunar astronaut

Matthias Maurer is a European Space Agency astronaut who spent six months aboard the International Space Station as part of the Cosmic Kiss mission. Now, he is helping the space agency devise tools, training programmes and protocols for future crewed trips to the moon. Maurer is also one of six European astronauts available for selection for upcoming lunar missions. “I am absolutely looking forward to fulfilling my third big dream,” he says. “The first one was riding on a rocket to space. The second one was opening the door of the space station and performing a spacewalk. And my third big dream would be to explore the surface of the moon.”