Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda starts next phase of training

Future Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda is beginning the second phase of his training on Tuesday. He faces eight weeks of training in Cologne and other locations across Europe. He will go through the basics of aerodynamics and orbital mechanics, survival training in the Baltic Sea, and a parabolic flight in zero gravity in Bordeaux, France. The Ministry of Transport announced this in a press release. Svoboda is a fighter pilot and a member of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) reserve astronaut team.