Applications open for the 5th edition of Astronaut for a Day
Applications run from 2 February to 1 March. Twenty Portuguese finalists will take part in the parabolic flight on 20 September, departing from Santa Maria Island in the Azores.
The Portuguese Space Agency is inviting lower- and upper-secondary students across mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions to apply for the 2026 edition of Astronaut for a Day, a national programme that brings young people closer to space through a supervised microgravity experience.
Applications for the first stage are open until 1 March and must be submitted via the programme’s official website, where the regulations and application form are available.
Astronaut for a Day maintains a selection process inspired by astronaut recruitment, designed to recognise a broad range of skills rather than academic results alone. “Astronaut for a Day is an investment in space literacy and in the future of young people across the country, challenging them to develop skills such as communication, resilience and teamwork,” said Hugo André Costa, Executive Director of the Portuguese Space Agency.
The selection process is organised into successive knockout stages. Following the assessment of the motivation videos submitted in the first stage, up to 200 candidates will be shortlisted for the next round, which includes tests of Memory, Speed and Spatial Reasoning. Up to 75 candidates will progress to a Physical Aptitude test. A final group of 35 candidates will be invited to interview, with 20 finalists selected to participate in the flight, subject to passing medical examinations.
Eligible applicants are students enrolled in lower or upper secondary education in the 2025/2026 school year up to Year 11, aged 14 to 18 on the date of the flight. Applications require completion of the online form and submission of a 45-second motivation video.
“Astronaut for a Day helps show that space is not distant or unattainable. It is a field driven by curiosity and the desire to learn — and Portugal already offers real opportunities to take the first step,” said Marta Gonçalves, Education and Science Programmes Manager at the Portuguese Space Agency.
The parabolic flight is scheduled for 20 September and will once again take place from Santa Maria Island, in the Azores, aboard the A310 ZERO-G aircraft operated by the French company Novespace. The aircraft is used in parabolic flight campaigns, including training for European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts ahead of space missions.
