Carmen Possnig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carmen Possnig
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Possnig in 2025
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| Born | 1988 (age 36–37) |
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| Occupation | Physician |
| Space career | |
| ESA reserve astronaut | |
| Selection | 2022 ESA Group |
Carmen Possnig is an amazing Austrian doctor and a future space explorer! She was born in 1988. She is a reserve astronaut for the European Space Agency (ESA). This means she is ready to train for space missions.
Carmen finished her medical studies in 2014. She then worked as a doctor in Vienna. In 2017, she went to Concordia Station in Antarctica. She worked there for over a year as a research doctor. Since 2020, she has been studying space physiology. This is about how the human body handles space. In 2022, she was chosen as an ESA reserve astronaut.
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Carmen Possnig's Early Life and Education
Carmen Possnig was born in Klagenfurt, Austria. This was in 1988. She loved learning about science and medicine. She went to the Medical University of Graz. She finished her studies there in 2014.
For her final project, she studied how gravity affects people. She worked with the German Aerospace Center. Her project looked at how men and women react to artificial gravity. This research is important for future space travel.
Carmen Possnig's Medical Career
After medical school, Carmen worked as a doctor. She was a resident physician in Vienna from 2014 to 2017. During this time, she became a certified general practitioner. This means she could treat many different health issues.
Working in Antarctica
In 2017, Carmen took on a very special job. She became a research doctor in Antarctica. She lived and worked at Concordia Station. This is one of the most isolated places on Earth. She stayed there for 13 months.
Her job was to lead the medical rescue team. She also studied how people's bodies change in extreme cold. The European Space Agency was very interested in her research. This is because Antarctica is a lot like space. Both places are very isolated and challenging.
Carmen wrote a book about her time in Antarctica. It is called "Südlich vom Ende der Welt." This means "South of the End of the World." The book was published in 2020.
Studying Space Medicine
In 2020, Carmen started a new adventure. She began studying for her PhD. This was at the University of Innsbruck. Her studies focused on space physiology. This field explores how astronauts' bodies adapt to space. It looks at things like weightlessness and radiation.
In 2022, she also became a research doctor. She worked at the Medes Institute. This institute is in Toulouse, France. It specializes in space medicine.
Carmen Possnig's Astronaut Career
In 2022, Carmen Possnig achieved a huge dream. The European Space Agency chose her as a reserve astronaut. This was part of their 2022 astronaut selection. Over 22,500 people applied to become astronauts! It was a very competitive process.
As a reserve astronaut, Carmen is part of the European Astronaut Corps. She is ready to train for space missions. If she is chosen for a mission, she would make history. She would be the first Austrian woman to ever fly into space!
