Tim Peake - The Astronaut Selection Test Book: Do You Have What it Takes for Space?

Have you got what it takes to be an astronaut?

Part puzzle book, part guide, The Astronaut Selection Test Book: Do You Have What it Takes? invites readers of all ages to attempt the European Space Agencys rigorous astronaut selection and training program. The book comprises 100 real astronaut tests and training exercises for readers to try at home, and outlines the full ESA selection process for the first time.

Fascinating, surprising, and ranging in difficulty from easy to fiendishly hard, the tests include visual memory and perception puzzles, concentration tests, maths and mental arithmetic problems, psychological quizzes, teamwork and leadership exercises, survival skills, physical and medical exams, foreign language aptitude tests (ESA astronauts must learn Russian) and more.

The book, which will be richly illustrated, draws on Tim Peakes first-hand experiences of applying to ESA to be an astronaut in 2008, when he was selected with just 5 other astronauts from over 8000 applications. A wide range of ESA astronaut trainers have also contributed to the book. An exclusive competition will accompany publication, with details to be announced later this summer.

Tim Peake

Tim Peake is a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. He finished his 186-day Principia mission working on the International Space Station for Expedition 46/47 when he landed back on Earth 18 June 2016.

Tim attended Chichester High School for boys. During this time he was also a member of the combined cadet force before joining the Army as an Army Air Corps Officer. He has over 3000 flying hours and has flown more than 30 different types of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft.

Tim is married with two sons. Among his leisure activities he enjoys skiing, scuba diving, cross-country running, climbing, mountaineering and he completed the London Marathon in 2006. His interests include quantum physics and aviation. Tim is an ambassador for UK science- and space-based careers and is working with the UK Space Agency in developing the UKs microgravity research programme. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Tim is also an ambassador for the Princes Trust.

The European Space Agency

The European Space Agency is Europes gateway to space, and boasts 22 member states. Its mission is to shape the development of Europes space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

First and foremost, this book would not have been possible without the enormous dedication, expertise and generosity shown by everyone at ESA who has collaborated on the project. Special thanks to Rosita Suenson for all her efforts in making the book happen, for her ideas, and for assembling a super team of contributors. To all of those who were interviewed about the selection process, your fascinating insights have shaped this book, and will shape the future of human spaceflight. Particular thanks to Loredana Bessone, Romain Charles, Antonio Fortunato, Beth Healey, Ruediger Seine, Gerhard Thiele, Diego Urbina, Guillaume Weerts and Dr Iya Whiteley (UCL). To Julien Harrod, thank you for supporting the content of the book and for all your suggestions. To Carl Walker, thank you for all your helpful edits.

To Colin Stuart, for your brilliant and tireless work helping to write and research the book. To Ed Grace, for the fantastic illustrations that subtly communicate some very complex ideas. To Roger Walker, for designing everything up so beautifully. To Suzanne High, for your wizardry on the logic puzzles. To Dr Katie Steckles, for meticulously checking many of the most fiendish puzzles in the book.

Finally, I would like to thank the wonderful team at Cornerstone, Penguin Random House for their hard work and dedication to the project: Ben Brusey, Joanna Taylor, Linda Hodgson, Jason Smith, Charlotte Bush, Rebecca Ikin, Sarah Ridley, Sarah Harwood, Alice Spencer, Dan Smiley, Mat Watterson, Claire Simmonds, Kelly Webster, Cara Conquest, Pippa Wright, Catherine Turner, Khan Lawrence, Selina Walker and Susan Sandon.

The test programme puts high demands on your ability to keep up a high level of attention and concentration and your physical and psychological stress resistance. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that you are relaxed and healthy. We recommend not using any medication, since these may have an adverse effect on your cognitive functions.

ESA SELECTION TEST ADVICE TO ASTRONAUT CANDIDATES IN 2008

Astronaut candidate, the initial round of hard skill testing focuses on your cognitive capabilities and psychomotor performance. We are looking for how your brain is hard-wired, says former astronaut Gerhard Thiele, who was involved in the 2008 ESA astronaut selection process. Can you digest huge amounts of information? Can you select the critical information from the non-relevant? And how quickly do you process these kinds of things?

The tests in this round are divided into the following skill-group sets: spatial awareness, visual perception, memory retention, technical information, concentration skills, English-language skills, mental arithmetic and measurement exercises. Try them for yourself.

You will notice that there are some time limits for these questions, and these simulate ESA test conditions. In 2008, Astronaut Selection Test candidates were asked to answer the questions and puzzles in this round as part of a long day, comprising six sessions of computer-based tests. The schedule for the day was as follows:

• 08.0008.30 Registration
• 08.3009.00 Introduction
• 09.0009.45 Tests I
• 09.4509.55 Break
• 09.5511.00 Tests II
• 11.0011.10 Break
• 11.1012.10 Tests III
• 12.1013.10 Lunch break
• 13.1014.00 Tests IV
• 14.0014.10 Break
• 14.1015.25 Tests V
• 15.2515.35 Break
• 15.3517.00 Tests VI
• 17.0018.00 Closing

Although this book cant exactly replicate the testing day shown above, try keeping to the recommended time limits when given.

The first round demands intense concentration. I recommend taking short breaks between the different types of questions in this round, although as on my day of testing in 2008 such breaks may be too brief to feel fully rested or prepared for the next evaluation. This mental exertion is part of the test.

It is important not to dwell on your performance. If you think you have done badly in one test, you must put it out of your mind and simply focus on the next task in hand. Under these circumstances, a relaxed approach is the best way forward, but that of course is a skill in itself being able to relax under intense pressure when the stakes are high.

In 2008 I was sitting in a room with many of my fellow candidates to take the test. If youre not careful, you can quickly become distracted by others, particularly if you see them getting through the questions faster than you are. I very much saw the whole process as a competition against myself, rather than against anyone else, and so I focused solely on what I was doing. That said, Id be lying if I said I wasnt intimidated by sitting in a room with people who had doctorates in science, medicine and engineering, when I left school at 18 and joined the army! However, the tests are carefully designed to evaluate intellectual capacity, regardless of academic background. There are many ways to develop these kinds of skills and, as it turned out in my own case, years of operational experience of flying helicopters had stood me in good stead. Similarly, for this round, you do not need to have experience of one particular discipline to attempt the following hard skill tests.