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The Astronaut Selection Test Book: Do You Have What it Takes for Space?
*** The puzzle book of 2018 ***
Have you got what it takes to be an astronaut?
Part puzzle book, part guide, The Astronaut Selection Test Book: Do You Have What it Takes? invites readers of all ages to attempt the European Space Agency’s rigorous astronaut selection and training program. The book comprises 100 real astronaut tests and training exercises for readers to try at home, and outlines the full ESA selection process for the first time.
Fascinating, surprising, and ranging in difficulty from easy to fiendishly hard, the tests include visual memory and perception puzzles, concentration tests, maths and mental arithmetic problems, psychological quizzes, teamwork and leadership exercises, survival skills, physical and medical exams, foreign language aptitude tests (ESA astronauts must learn Russian) and more.
The book, which will be richly illustrated, draws on Tim Peake's first-hand experiences of applying to ESA to be an astronaut in 2008, when he was selected with just 5 other astronauts from over 8000 applications. A wide range of ESA astronaut trainers have also contributed to the book. An exclusive competition will accompany publication, with details to be announced later this summer.
Have you got what it takes to be an astronaut?
Part puzzle book, part guide, The Astronaut Selection Test Book: Do You Have What it Takes? invites readers of all ages to attempt the European Space Agency’s rigorous astronaut selection and training program. The book comprises 100 real astronaut tests and training exercises for readers to try at home, and outlines the full ESA selection process for the first time.
Fascinating, surprising, and ranging in difficulty from easy to fiendishly hard, the tests include visual memory and perception puzzles, concentration tests, maths and mental arithmetic problems, psychological quizzes, teamwork and leadership exercises, survival skills, physical and medical exams, foreign language aptitude tests (ESA astronauts must learn Russian) and more.
The book, which will be richly illustrated, draws on Tim Peake's first-hand experiences of applying to ESA to be an astronaut in 2008, when he was selected with just 5 other astronauts from over 8000 applications. A wide range of ESA astronaut trainers have also contributed to the book. An exclusive competition will accompany publication, with details to be announced later this summer.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published October 4, 2018
28 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Tim Peake
29 books107 followersMajor Timothy Nigel "Tim" Peake CMG (born 7 April 1972) is a British Army Air Corps officer, European Space Agency astronaut and a former International Space Station (ISS) crew member.
He is the first British ESA astronaut, the second astronaut to bear a British flag patch (the first was Helen Sharman, who visited Mir as part of Project Juno in 1991), the sixth person born in the United Kingdom to go on board the International Space Station (the first was NASA astronaut Michael Foale in 2003) and the seventh UK-born person in space. He began the ESA's intensive astronaut basic training course in September 2009 and graduated on 22 November 2010.
He is the first British ESA astronaut, the second astronaut to bear a British flag patch (the first was Helen Sharman, who visited Mir as part of Project Juno in 1991), the sixth person born in the United Kingdom to go on board the International Space Station (the first was NASA astronaut Michael Foale in 2003) and the seventh UK-born person in space. He began the ESA's intensive astronaut basic training course in September 2009 and graduated on 22 November 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 2, 2023
Przeczytałam w wakacje i zapomniałam odznaczyć. Super silly, wzięłam na wyjazdy, bardzo dobrze się bawiłam, polecam nerdom!
April 7, 2021
This book might become a bestseller a few years since the publication, with the recent announcement from ESA on opening the application for a new cohort of European astronauts.
A book to read with a pencil in your hand. This book can even make you feel you don't have what it takes or that you have a chance to become an astronaut. It shows the amount of testing the aspiring astronauts go through and the extent of knowledge and skills one should accumulate in their career for having a chance at a job with regular office hours in the orbit of the Earth.
I used to do some of the tests with my partner while doing chores or just laying on the couch and she found it very entertaining. I think it's also nice to do the tests with your children as they will learn some important life lessons on collaboration, leadership and STEM-related skills.
A fun book whether you want to become an astronaut or not.
A book to read with a pencil in your hand. This book can even make you feel you don't have what it takes or that you have a chance to become an astronaut. It shows the amount of testing the aspiring astronauts go through and the extent of knowledge and skills one should accumulate in their career for having a chance at a job with regular office hours in the orbit of the Earth.
I used to do some of the tests with my partner while doing chores or just laying on the couch and she found it very entertaining. I think it's also nice to do the tests with your children as they will learn some important life lessons on collaboration, leadership and STEM-related skills.
A fun book whether you want to become an astronaut or not.
July 26, 2020
What a great book! The challenges are pretty hard!
I like that this book is a mixture of a lot of things that an astronaut would need to be successful in space: math, languages, patterns, diaries, psychology, reading gauges, memory tests, creative activities, and lots of other information about training. I enjoyed the picture/caption inserts that made it come alive.
This book read really quickly, and I enjoyed spending time doing the puzzles. I didn't do the logic puzzles yet because I didn't want to write in the book. They look SUPER hard. I will make copies and try them out later.
If you want a book that shows you just how difficult it is to become an astronaut but also to feel intrigued and maybe even a bit hopeful about it, this is the book for you. Great purchase!
I like that this book is a mixture of a lot of things that an astronaut would need to be successful in space: math, languages, patterns, diaries, psychology, reading gauges, memory tests, creative activities, and lots of other information about training. I enjoyed the picture/caption inserts that made it come alive.
This book read really quickly, and I enjoyed spending time doing the puzzles. I didn't do the logic puzzles yet because I didn't want to write in the book. They look SUPER hard. I will make copies and try them out later.
If you want a book that shows you just how difficult it is to become an astronaut but also to feel intrigued and maybe even a bit hopeful about it, this is the book for you. Great purchase!
November 28, 2021
Chcieliście zostać astronautami? Pomysł świetny, ale czy wiecie, co trzeba zrobić, by zostać takim badaczem kosmosu? W "Kosmicznej rekrutacji" autor odpowie na wszystkie pytania.
Książka składa się z części teoretycznej, gdzie znajdziemy opisy i ciekawostki prosto ze stacji kosmicznej. Mamy też oryginalne zdjęcia ze szkoleń i przydatne informacje. Jednak nie obawiajcie się nudy, bo najbardziej spektakularną częścią jest ta praktyczna. Dostajemy gotowy zestaw pytań, zadań prosto z testów i rekrutacji. Wierzę, że są autentyczne, bo ich trudność jest bardzo wysoka, i no cóż, że mnie astronautki nie będzie.
Tą niecodzienną publikacje można traktować jako taką ciekawostkę, albo idealny pomysł na prezent dla kogoś, kto w kosmosie chciałby się znaleźć. Jest to coś oryginalnego i zachwyci każdego zainteresowanego tematem.
Książka składa się z części teoretycznej, gdzie znajdziemy opisy i ciekawostki prosto ze stacji kosmicznej. Mamy też oryginalne zdjęcia ze szkoleń i przydatne informacje. Jednak nie obawiajcie się nudy, bo najbardziej spektakularną częścią jest ta praktyczna. Dostajemy gotowy zestaw pytań, zadań prosto z testów i rekrutacji. Wierzę, że są autentyczne, bo ich trudność jest bardzo wysoka, i no cóż, że mnie astronautki nie będzie.
Tą niecodzienną publikacje można traktować jako taką ciekawostkę, albo idealny pomysł na prezent dla kogoś, kto w kosmosie chciałby się znaleźć. Jest to coś oryginalnego i zachwyci każdego zainteresowanego tematem.
October 14, 2018
I have different feelings about this book.
The first half made me feel really bad, since its structure reminded me of the Numerus Clausus a test at which you need to be under the best few to pass. This is a test used in German-speaking countries so to select for the "best" candidates for medical studies. I strongly question wheter these tests are
1. representative of the candidates' intellect
2. choose the right people (or rather just the ones who can handle stressful exam-settings).
Nevertheless the second part contained a nice "preview" of how the first Mars-missions could be. And there was also a nice picture section. So I liked it but no more - 3 stars.
The first half made me feel really bad, since its structure reminded me of the Numerus Clausus a test at which you need to be under the best few to pass. This is a test used in German-speaking countries so to select for the "best" candidates for medical studies. I strongly question wheter these tests are
1. representative of the candidates' intellect
2. choose the right people (or rather just the ones who can handle stressful exam-settings).
Nevertheless the second part contained a nice "preview" of how the first Mars-missions could be. And there was also a nice picture section. So I liked it but no more - 3 stars.
December 3, 2019
Bought for me as a gift by a friend that knows just what a space geek I am , this is a good and well intentioned book but, packed full of puzzles and tests as it is, I did not enjoy it as much as a plain straight line account of Tim Peake's journey through the selection process.
This says more about me than the book and I recognise it as underscoring the value of this book but the tests themselves did not appeal to me as much as the experiences.
Written with lightness and humour this would be a bang on book for anyone wanting to get a detailed taste of the rigours a candidate is put through and also to see how well they match up
This says more about me than the book and I recognise it as underscoring the value of this book but the tests themselves did not appeal to me as much as the experiences.
Written with lightness and humour this would be a bang on book for anyone wanting to get a detailed taste of the rigours a candidate is put through and also to see how well they match up
August 19, 2025
Ta książka była dla mnie kompletną ciekawostką - nie zamierzam zostawać astronautką, chociaż sam temat eksploracji kosmosu bardzo mnie ciekawi. Nie wszystkie testy wypełniłam, nie podeszłam do tego bardzo poważnie. To, co mi się podobało, to opis różnych szkoleń astronautów - np. w jaskiniach na Sycylii lub na antarktycznej stacji badawczej. Rozdział na temat załogowych misji na Marsa i badań dotyczących tego, jakich cech należy wymagać od potencjalnych marsjańskich astronautów, również wypadł dość interesująco. Ogólnie nic wielkiego, ale dała trochę frajdy i czegoś nowego się dowiedziałam.
April 18, 2020
Yeah I'm 30 and too short to be an astronaut, but this was fun!
December 26, 2020
Very good, very interesting. Definitely worth a flick through.
June 2, 2021
Do you have what it takes? No I don’t and that’s why it’s only getting 4 stars
February 27, 2022
It’s okay. Mostly for kids.
December 16, 2024
Zaczęłam czytać tą książkę o północy i tak się wciągnęłam, że gdy spojrzałam na zegarek i okazało się że jest piąta, nie mogłam w to uwierzyć
April 17, 2021
Gives an excellent idea of the various skills wanted by the ESA for astronauts.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews