Selected for the 2022 European Space Agency Astronaut group, Arnaud Prost balances his career as a flight test engineer with his duties as a reserve astronaut. Born in 1992, he established a background in both aeronautical engineering and military aviation before entering the European Astronaut Corps to support future crewed space flight missions.
Military and Academic Formation
Prost began his academic path at Lycée Thiers in Marseille before entering the École Polytechnique in 2012. His military training commenced at the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment, where he earned a military parachutist badge and completed over 200 freefall jumps. Following his graduation, he pursued advanced studies at ISAE-SUPAERO, earning a degree in space systems, and secured a master's degree in astrophysics from Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University. His research trajectory included international cooperation at the Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics at Moscow State University and the Moscow Aviation Institute, alongside a tenure at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory examining landing zones for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.
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Between 2015 and 2016, Prost worked for COMEX in Marseille, participating in the Moonwalk project. This work involved underwater simulations of Extra Vehicular Activity and the development of protocols for astronaut-robot interaction. In 2016, he joined the French Armament Corps under the Direction générale de l'armement. Concurrently, he completed fighter pilot training with the French Air and Space Force by 2020. Since that time, he has worked at the DGA Flight Tests Expertise Center in Istres, focusing on artificial intelligence applications in air combat and the testing of the Future Combat Air System.
Flight Testing and Astronaut Selection
In 2022, Prost joined the integrated flight test team for the Rafale combat aircraft program, contributing to the development of human-machine interfaces under the command of Magalie Gibergues. Later that year, the European Space Agency selected him for the European Astronaut Corps. While he retains his professional status with the DGA, he commits to several weeks of annual training at the ESA Astronaut Centre. He is currently slated to act as a flight test engineer for the initial crewed mission and flight acceptance test of the Haven-1 station, a project led by Vast and SpaceX.
Fast facts
- Born: 1992
- Nationality: France
- Education: École Polytechnique, ISAE-SUPAERO
- Employer: Direction générale de l'armement
- Selection: 2022 European Space Agency Astronaut group
- Aviation Qualification: Fighter pilot certificate, commercial pilot license
Questions readers ask
What is Arnaud Prost's role at the European Space Agency?
He serves as a reserve astronaut, maintaining his current professional duties while dedicating four to five weeks annually to training, scientific experiments, or outreach at the ESA Astronaut Centre.
What specific mission is he assigned to?
He will serve as a flight test engineer for the first crewed mission and flight acceptance test of Haven-1, a station operated by Vast and SpaceX.
Achievements
- Recorded as astronaut