Die Astronautin is a competition to put the first German female astronaut in space. Already in its finalist stages, it’s now seeking crowdfunding. Via Gizmodo:
Although it sounds like The Hunger Games in space, Germany’s “Die Astronautin” competition—which means “the female astronaut”—seeks to put the first German woman into space. In March 2016, 400 women entered the competition, and yesterday, aerospace recruitment agency HE Space announced it had selected its final six candidates. If the private mission succeeds in securing funding, one of these badass ladies will head up to the International Space Station (ISS) for 10 days in 2020.
By fostering such a large competition, HE hopes Die Astronautin will inspire more girls and women to become interested in spaceflight. “We have shown that Germany’s women have the skills to fly into space,” said Claudia Kessler, CEO of HE Space, in a press statement. “Now we have to prove that the people of Germany believe in the candidates.”
To qualify for Die Astronautin, women had to be German nationals with a degree in engineering or science, between ages 27-37, and in excellent physical condition. Each of the 400 initial candidates were subjected to physical and mental health screenings, narrowing the pool down to just 60 candidates. From there, the pool was reduced to just six.