By The SpaceInfo Club Editorial Team · Published September 2023 · Updated August 28, 2026

Pointing to the Stars

Nicola Winter is a member of the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Reserve (Class of 2022), selected from a pool of more than 22,500 applicants. A former Eurofighter and Tornado pilot with the German Air Force, she now works as a space researcher at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) — but as she explains below, her astronaut selection is just the latest chapter of an already remarkable career.

From Cockpit to Astronaut Reserve

Born in 1985 in Germany, Nicola Winter graduated from the Rainer-Maria-Rilke Gymnasium in Icking in 2004 before joining the German Air Force. She trained as a fighter pilot at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas and went on to fly both Tornado and Eurofighter aircraft, accumulating more than 2,350 flying hours and earning commercial pilot, military pilot, helicopter and aerobatic licenses. She is also a certified flight instructor, a certified Open Water Diver, and a member of the German Association of Skiing Instructors.

Beyond aviation, she studied Aero- and Astrospace engineering at Purdue University in Indiana, completed a solo bicycle crossing of the Alps in 2018, and climbed Mt. Kenya (5,199 m) in 2009. In November 2022 she was selected as a member of the ESA astronaut reserve — the latest milestone in a career built one demanding challenge at a time.

The Interview

When did you decide you wanted to be an astronaut, and what was the event or person that made you think about it?

Ever since I was a kid, I loved Star Trek and its pioneering spirit – to go where no one has gone before. That’s exactly what I want to do. Then I became a fighter pilot at Sheppard AFB in Texas, USA. They have an alumni hall of fame there. Every day I walked by a bunch of Astronauts who had been on the exact same path I was on. That was when I decided to go for it for real.

When did you decide to turn your dream into a real goal?

Well, unfortunately, you can’t just decide to become an astronaut. You have to wait for a selection. My first chance appeared in 2017, with a private initiative in Germany looking for the first German female astronaut. Due to funds, that didn’t happen. My next shot came in 2021/2022 with ESA, where I decided very easily to, of course, try again!

From our followers: what’s your favorite movie?

Not a movie, but I love and very much recommend “For All Mankind” — the best astronaut series in a long time!

What is the most dangerous event that occurred to you when piloting?

Very, very nearly colliding with another aircraft. But it is not uncommon — you need some luck to survive a career as a fighter pilot.

What was the hardest challenge you faced in your life?

Pilot training and the accompanying survival trainings are tough. You do need some grit and tolerance for discomfort to make it. The truly hardest challenges in life though, are always the personal ones. Sickness, loss, and on a more personal note: having a young kid at home while trying to work full time. Trying to be a good, present parent and excellent in my job is by far the hardest and longest challenge yet!

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far — professionally as a pilot, or in any other area?

You just have to start. Don’t think it, don’t worry it. Just start it! And then you will be able to figure out the rest on the way, one step at a time. Remember: maybe you won’t finish everything you started — but 100% of the projects that you didn’t start, failed.

Which object would you like to fly with you in space, and why?

Coffee. It’s my one true addiction and I love to have coffee whenever I can.

If you could only choose one, would you rather fly tomorrow to the ISS or wait some time and be the first woman on the Moon?

I’d wait for a long time for my opportunity to go to the moon. If the goal is worth it, why not have patience? It doesn’t have to be as the first anything, though. My own experience and contribution is not influenced by the fact that someone else of my gender or nationality has done it before. That only influences other people’s opinions of my experience, and I wholeheartedly do not care one bit about that.

You’re highly qualified in more than one activity — beyond piloting, was there another skill that turned out to be useful during your astronaut selection, or that gives you an extra “push” in other fields?

The more active and versatile the experience, pretty much the better. If you are looking for the extra “push”, I’d say the most important one is people skills. Be an amazing team member, know how to follow and figure out when and how to lead. After that, figure out how to never crumble under pressure and you are pretty much set (which is a matter of practice, practice, practice). I am not perfect in either but apparently good enough.

Training and preparation for space missions can be physically and mentally demanding. How do you manage stress and maintain focus during intense training?

The trick is to be really self-aware and pace myself. Quite often, I try to cheat myself one way or the other: push myself when it’s too much or give myself a lazy day when I don’t need it. But the truth is, when you look deep down, you know what you need to be doing, and then I just follow that relentlessly.

How do you see the future of space exploration?

We are on the brink of space exploration exploding, and if we are lucky, we will be around to see it. That’s amazing!

What is your message to people who are passionate about space?

Space is hard and space is worth it. Even if you get to desperate because you really wanna go but currently can’t… just remember that we are all in space, all the time.