The European Space Agency Is Accepting Applications For A One-Year Antarctica Stay

The European Space Agency is now accepting applications from European citizens that have medical degrees to join a research team in Antarctica.

ESA Opens Applications for Medical Doctors to Join Antarctica’s Concordia Station Research Team

On the European Space Agency’s official website, the details of this call for applications were shared with the public. Aside from being qualified medical doctors, the applicants will need to be able to live in Antarctica for the next year.

The application window will be open for five more weeks, as discussions with shortlisted candidates will kick off on 1 February 2025. Evaluation of the applications will commence on 21 February 2025, and the entire process will shut down on 5 June 2025.

The candidate that gets the role will leave for Antarctica with the new Concordia winterover crew between October and November 2025. The website also goes on to outline some of the conditions and challenges applicants will face in Antarctica.

High altitudes ranging from 3,200 to 4,000 meters result in low air pressures of approximately 645 hPa, which can lead to chronic hypobaric hypoxic stress. The average temperature at Concordia Station is a frigid -51°C, with the summer months (mid-November to February) offering a slightly less extreme average of -30°C.

Some of the challenges that applicants will face are prolonged isolation, hostile natural environment, autonomous crew operations for most of the year, limited mobility, and limited resources. Details for the tasks to be performed by the applicant are found on the European Space Agency’s official website.

The ideal candidate will have a medical degree and working (laboratory and research) experience, good English language skills, excellent health, no addictions, and an interest in medical and psychosocial research. Candidates from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, and Canada can apply.

What Is The European Space Agency Concordia Station Programme About?

Established in 2001, the Concordia station is a result of a collaboration between the European Space Agency, the French Polar Institute, and the Italian Antarctic Programme. This collaboration focuses on biomedical research activities like long-term medical, psychological, and microbial monitoring, as well as grey water recycling for use on spacecraft life support systems.

Considering the harsh environments in Antarctica, all research work here will be best adapted for similar conditions in space. This will help boost the performance of future space missions where crew members will struggle with hypoxia, isolation, confinement, high levels of autonomy and social monotony, limited resources, restricted access to outside help in case of emergencies, and a hostile external environment.