Berlin woman to be first German in space
After a conversation about the cosmos with a crypto millionaire, scientist Rabea Rogge may become the first German woman to fly into space soon. Currently, she is undergoing astronaut training in the USA to study the polar region in a SpaceX rocket.
After an expedition training in the icy Spitsbergen, Rabea Rogge could become the first German woman to fly into space soon. Because during the training in the high north, she met Chun Wang and spoke with him about the cosmos, the 28-year-old reports. Half a year later, Wang, who became rich with cryptocurrencies, wrote to her whether she wanted to accompany him on a multi-day mission with the US company SpaceX. "I couldn't have dreamed of that!" she said.
Meanwhile, Rogge is in the USA, where she is completing a training program for the flight. The young woman from Berlin is no stranger to life abroad. She was in Zurich for her bachelor's and master's degrees and also spent a year studying in Stockholm. If it weren't for the space mission, she would now be pursuing her robotics doctorate in the Arctic in Norwegian Trondheim. She is now on leave from that.
Same training as astronauts receive
The mission could start as early as the end of the year, so Rogge doesn't have much time to prepare. She has already completed the medical examinations, centrifuge training, and expedition training, as Rogge reports. Recently, the technical training in California began. "You really learn how to fly the capsule there."
It is the same program as that for astronauts of the US space agency NASA and the European Space Agency ESA who also fly in the SpaceX capsule "Dragon", she explained. "Of course, state astronauts have a lot more training units because they are not only in space for three to five days, but for several months."
Rogge to observe polar regions
During the "Fram2" mission, named after a ship of Norwegian polar researchers in the 19th century, the team wants to observe the polar regions, i.e., the Arctic and Antarctic. Rogge is the scientist in the four-member team. She is responsible for investigating a mysterious sky glow, among other things. Besides Chun Wang, a Norwegian filmmaker, an Australian polar guide, and Rogge are also part of the mission.
The 28-year-old is definitely not afraid of new challenges. During her studies, she joined a team that set out to build a satellite. "We managed to build a prototype as a complete newcomer team within a year, test it on a parabolic flight, and ultimately win an ESA competition," Rogge recalled. That was an incredibly inspiring time.
She then told Wang about this experience with the satellite team during the Spitsbergen expedition. "That's how I started talking to Chun about space projects." Chun Wang, who is Wang Chun in Chinese, describes himself as a Bitcoin millionaire and a perpetual world traveler. He comes from the Chinese metropolis of Tianjin but took Maltese citizenship last year.
28-year-old wants to represent Germany and Berlin well
If the mission takes off, Rogge will be the first German woman in space. "That was definitely not the first thing I thought of when I agreed to participate in the mission," she said. But now, of course, she will do her best to represent Germany and her hometown of Berlin well.
So far, twelve men from Germany have been in space. The ESA wants to encourage more women to apply to make the team more diverse, German astronaut Alexander Gerst said three years ago. "Whether young or old, man or woman: We simply cannot afford to fly one-sided crews," explained Gerst, who has been in space twice.
Women from the USA have already been in space. Matthias Maurer, the last German in space, encourages girls and boys dreaming of a career in space. Maurer pointed to his US colleague Kayla Barron, who was with him on board the International Space Station ISS. "She's a wonderful astronaut, and she does many things better than us guys."
German ESA reserve astronaut Nicola Winter is convinced that not just one German woman should fly in space, but twelve - as many as men have so far. She spoke up on Instagram after the flight was announced, saying she's happy for Rogge if it works out. But: It's actually a tourist flight. What's really needed is medical, biological, and material research with many women in space, "because women biologically tick differently than men."
Winter lists how many women were supposed to be the first German women in space and comes up with at least seven. It never worked out. What if it doesn't work out for Rogge either? The 28-year-old doesn't want to give up. "I had planned to apply for the next round of ESA selections."
During her training in the USA, Rogge is learning the same techniques as NASA and ESA astronauts for flying in the SpaceX "Dragon" capsule. After successfully completing the mission with Chun Wang, Rogge expressed her desire to represent Germany and Berlin well, should she become the first German woman to fly into space on a SpaceX rocket.
