While successful candidates are expected to visit the International Space Station in the near future -- spending up to six weightless months cruising above Earth 's atmosphere in ESA 's new Columbus lab -- they wo n't fulfill the ultimate goal of visiting the moon , and eventually Mars , until much later in their careers . European Space Agency launches hunt for new astronauts . The agency is looking to recruit a total of six people from the United States and Europe who will be trained in space medicine at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Astronaut chief says 45-year-olds make best spacemen .
European Space Agency launches hunt for new astronauts . The agency is looking to recruit a total of six people from the United States and Europe who will be trained in space medicine at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Astronaut chief says 45-year-olds make best spacemen .