Over a year ago, the 34 year-old astronaut began his astronaut training with the ESA in Cologne. Raphaël will have to wait until autumn 2026 to embark on his journey to the International Space Station (ISS). In his interview, Raphaël dives into his arduous training schedule and his Luxembourgish roots.
Raphaël Liégeois had several people to thank for inspiring him to become an astronaut. He vividly recalls how, at the age of 4 or 5, he followed the journey of then-astronaut Dirk Frimout, Belgium’s first astronaut, into space. However, it wasn’t just real-life figures that fuelled his passion; a fictional character also played an equally important role in sparking Raphaël’s love for all things space.
“I read a bunch of Tintin, Tintin on the moon, Tintin in space, and of course all the other books too. He inspired me to dream.”
Today, Raphaël Liégeois is a biomedical engineer with a doctorate in neuroscience and has successfully completed his basic astronaut training at the ESA in Cologne.
He has recently relocated to Houston, Texas, where he is undergoing a specialised training programme to prepare for his first journey into space.
In Houston, astronauts train in a massive pool equipped with an ISS simulation. Here, Raphaël is learning how to navigate life in zero gravity, practicing essential skills and techniques that will help him overcome the unique challenges of living aboard the ISS.
Traveling to space may sound like an exciting and thrilling adventure, but it doesn’t come without its challenges, Raphaël shared with RTL. The biggest challenge for him at the moment is keeping up with the demanding pace of his jam-packed schedule.
“The training schedule over the past year was exhausting. Right after Cologne, I flew to Houston and we dove straight into the next training session on my very first day in Houston. It’s been amazing but also quite intense,” Raphaël shared.
There’s no rest for the wicked as the specialised training follows an equally demanding schedule with the pace progressively intensifying as well.
“We now have an official day for take-off, so I absolutely have to be ready by that day,” he explained.
The astronaut is set to launch to the ISS in autumn 2026, where he will spend six months in space. Although he’ll be officially flying under the Belgian flag, the mission holds significant meaning for Luxembourg as well.
The 34-year-old astronaut grew up in Belgian Luxembourg, the southernmost province of Wallonia within Belgium. His parents live and work in Differdange and Raphaël’s grandmother spoke Luxembourgish when she was alive.
“I still remember how she sang Luxembourgish songs to me,” he fondly recalled.
Regardless of his personal ties to Luxembourg, he is thrilled by the country’s huge strides in space exploration:
“Apart from larger companies, a number of startups in Luxembourg share a passion for outer space and are actively investing in space research and development. It’s clear that Luxembourg has been an early pioneer in this field.”
If all goes according to plan, the autumn of 2026 will see the Luxembourgish flag soaring to new heights - quite literally - as Raphaël has pledged to bring a piece of the Grand Duchy with him on his journey to the ISS.
