This year’s edition of the “Astranaut for a Day” will take 25 young Portuguese and 10 Estonians to experience microgravity on a parabolic flight, in September, from the island of Santa Maria, today announced the Portuguese Space Agency.
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13/08/2026
by
Lusa
“ ANDthis is the first edition of the initiative in which the Portuguese Space Agency is conducting the final phase in partnership with another space agency”, the agency announced, in a statement.
Since 2022, the Portuguese Space Agency has taken dozens of secondary school students on a parabolic flight that simulates the experience of being in space, but this year the initiative has gained an international dimension.
The parabolic flight, which is the final phase of the “Astronnaut for a Day”, is scheduled for 20 September and will depart from Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, with 25 young Portuguese and 10 Estonians on board.
The new travel partner – Space Estonia – had already adopted the Portuguese initiative in the past and by 2025 the flight was shared with Luxembourg and Austria, but it is the first time that Portugal has organized the final phase in partnership.
“ This decision of two agencies to fly together reflects the cooperation that has been building the space sector in Europe,” said Portuguese Space Agency Executive Director Hugo André Costa, quoted in a statement.
Like previous editions, the Portuguese finalists were selected through a process inspired by the selection of astronauts, which included memory tests, spatial perception and response speed, physical and psychological fitness tests, interviews and medical examinations.
In Estonia, the selection was in charge of Space Estonia and began with an online game aimed at evaluating the participants’ cognitive abilities, followed by a three-day space camp, with engineering activities, teamwork challenges and sessions on the space sector.
The 10 finalists were subsequently chosen through interviews.
“ It is an excellent opportunity for young people to get to know the European space sector, explore future professional careers and be part of the next generation of professionals that will shape the future of the space industry,” said Elise Guerra Monasterio, Space Estonia project manager.
In the coming days, the 35 young people participate in training activities and sessions to prepare for parabolic flight, including tours on the island of Santa Maria and visits to space infrastructures.