 During the latter half of the 1980s, European human space flights changed from being the exception to routine and therefore, in 1990, the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany was established.It selects and trains prospective astronauts and is responsible for the co-ordination with international partners, especially with regard to the International Space Station.As of 2006, the ESA astronaut corps officially included twelve members, including nationals from most large European countries except the United Kingdom.