British astronaut Rosemary Coogan is closer than ever to making history. At NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Texas, she completed a six-hour simulated spacewalk in a pool designed to replicate the International Space Station. With every careful movement, she trained her body and mind for life in space—practicing handholds, maneuvers, and even emergency rescues. Coogan was chosen from more than 22,000 applicants to join the European Space Agency and is now preparing for her first mission by 2030.
Born with a passion for space but unsure of the path, she studied astrophysics before applying to become an astronaut. Now, with NASA’s Artemis program planning new Moon missions and Europe set to take part, Coogan could be the first Briton to walk on the lunar surface. Her training is intense, but her motivation is clear: she’s chasing a lifelong dream. After the spacewalk simulation, her instructors called her performance “exceptional.” And with decades ahead in her space career, that dream might not be far away.