European Space Agency 'Online Game' Tests If You Can Make It As An Astronaut

Want To Become An Astronaut? This Test Tells You If You've Got What It Takes

Aspiring astronauts take note, the European Space Agency has unveiled a new test to help them select the best candidates to conquer the next frontior in space.

The website, still be Beta-phase, will help ESA hone its selection process by presenting people with a range of spatial awareness puzzles.

Although the agency is not running a selection campaign at the moment, absolutely anyone can play the online game.

"ESA is not currently running a selection campaign but developing tests for astronaut selection takes time and needs to be done right." said the head of ESA's astronaut centre, Frank De Winne.

The online challenge focuses on the ability to navigate in three-dimensional spaces.

"In a weightless universe, up can become down and left can become right depending on which way you are floating," the ESA stated.

The 30-60 minute test has four challenges: planning, control, arrows and angles. What makes it more difficult is you have to programme each of your moves in order of how you would like to perform the task, and it's a lot more difficult than it sounds.

The public's involvement in this test is to help ESA validate it as a selection tool. As you pass through each level, the challenges get progressively harder.

At the primary level, players are presented with an object to "fit exactly in a new position in three dimensions."

However, the payoff of knowing whether you make the cut or not might be worth the effort.

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