During this year’s “Christmas Talk” from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria’s first female reserve astronaut, Carmen Possnig, explains how she got her job, but also how to cope with the long isolation and how body responds to weightlessness…
As a small child, Carmen Possnig knew she wanted to become an astronaut. She was fascinated by the view through her sister’s telescope. “It’s curiosity and the spirit of discovery,” says the reserve astronaut. She never lost sight of her goal: she studied medicine, a field that offers opportunities at the European Space Agency (ESA)…
13 months at minus 80 degrees and darkness
But before she was chosen as the first Austrian reserve astronaut in 2022, she had to complete a number of tests. In 2017, for example, she spent no less than 13 months in the freezing cold and darkness in Antarctica! “A unique experience and a time that I really enjoyed,” says the qualified doctor in a conversation with Katia Wagner. Your tip against the cold? “Dress warmly and in layers,” she laughs.
How do you deal with months of isolation?
You also need to be well prepared mentally and physically for such an expedition. Anyone not in top form is eliminated. Particular emphasis is placed on teamwork and stress resistance. However, the isolation can still take its toll. “Sometimes I just sat there with a blank head,” Possnig says of her time in Antarctica. She especially enjoyed the clear view of the starry sky.
“I’m ready”
She estimates that the likelihood that Possnig will climb into a space capsule in the near future is “not that unlikely” and that a call from ESA could come at any moment. In the meantime, she continues to work as a medical researcher. “I’m definitely ready for it and it would be a great opportunity for Austria,” says Possnig.
You can watch the entire “Christmas Talk” from the Austrian Academy of Sciences above! You can catch the next episode of “Katia Wagner – the Talk” in the new year. The krone.tv team wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Every Wednesday, Katia Wagner discusses socio-political issues affecting Austria with guests from politics and society in the show of the same name.
Source: Krone
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