The “Walk to the Moon” challenge, part of the Mission X “Train Like an Astronaut” project, involves participating in scientific and sporting events inspired by the activities of astronauts. By using them as role models, the aim is to raise awareness among young people of the importance of regular exercise and a healthy diet. The idea is also to get them interested in careers related to space and science. Mission X is a health education project that offers a fun approach to combating sedentary lifestyles and obesity through the theme of space.
ProjetMission X
TargetUp to 14 years old
PeriodSeptember 19, 2025 to July 31, 2026
Get ready for the next ESA astronaut selection by developing your physical and mental abilities through activities inspired by the daily life of astronauts!
To participate in the project, form your team(s) of future astronauts, choose your team name(s), and register them on the ESA website.
Carry out one or more physical, scientific, or artistic activities from those available in the resources section.
Once completed, simply submit your activities to the ESA’s Mission X website as soon as possible to convert them into steps and help Leo and Luna land on the Moon.
Each team will receive a certificate of participation and will be invited to attend the French closing event in Toulouse!
Déroulé du projet
Mission X project launch
Register your team(s) on the European Space Agency website to receive regular updates on the project, resources, training courses, tutorials, conferences, and space news.
Webinar: Presentation of new resources
In order to kick off the new season of the “Walk to the Moon” challenge, CNES, via its ESERO France office, organized an online meeting to discover the new Mission X resources and discuss upcoming events during the school year. The video is available at this link.
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Challenge: Daily training for astronauts
The Daily Training for Astronauts challenge gave participating teams the opportunity to train like an astronaut for 30 minutes a day by using some of our new 30APQ resources.
Online conference “AI working for astronauts”
CNES is organizing a web conference (french) on Thursday, January 29, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to discover the work carried out by CNES in the field of Artificial Intelligence in order to provide the best possible support to astronauts during their future missions to the Moon and even Mars. This conference will be given by CNES engineer Denis Baron and will be open to students in cycles 3 and 4 and high school. Fill out this form to participate in the conference.
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National closing event
To celebrate the end of the year and congratulate you for your participation in the project, come and take part in our annual closing event in Toulouse, including conferences given by CNES specialists and activities focusing on the lives of astronauts. You can register today by filling out this form.
National submission deadline
Submit your activities on the ESA website before May 31, 2026, to receive your participation certificates before the end of the school year.
European submission deadline
The school year is over, but you want to keep training like astronauts. You can still submit your activities until July 31, 2026.
Train like a parastronaut!
In 2022, British surgeon John McFall, who had his right leg amputated after a serious motorcycle accident, became the first person with a disability to join the ESA’s new class of astronauts, joining a groundbreaking program to study the “feasibility” of space flight for “parastronauts.”
With the selection of the first parastronaut and the organization of the XVII Paralympic Games in France, ESERO France has designed new Mission X activities aimed at promoting accessibility and enabling students to train like parastronauts. Discover these new activities here!
30 minutes of daily physical activity
Since the 2023/2024 school year, the French Ministry of Education has implemented the “30 minutes of daily physical activity” program with the aim of offering children the opportunity to engage in regular physical activity and encouraging them to participate in sports in order to combat the serious and widespread increase in sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity.
This program is fully aligned with the daily routine of astronauts who undergo daily training, whether aboard the International Space Station or on Earth, to prepare their bodies for the extreme conditions of space. The ESERO France team has adapted some of the Mission X activities into a format that is more suited to shorter but daily exercise. You can find all these new resources here.
Start your astronaut training in kindergarten
Regular physical activity is essential regardless of our age. For young children, sport helps them become aware of their bodies and the space around them. That’s why ESERO France has created new Mission X activities suitable for preschoolers, enabling them to discover the world through the theme of space. These activities have been designed to fit in with the learning areas taught in preschool.
Find these new resources here, suitable for all primary school children from a young age!
Les ressources pédagogiques
Numerous resources are available on the ESERO France website to provide you with the best possible support for your project.
- Start your project off right with the introduction video available at this link.
- Download resources and activities dedicated to the Mission X project.
- Watch the video of the November 14, 2024 conference on “The Return of Humans to the Moon” by clicking on this link.
- Watch the video of the February 6, 2025 conference on “Human Space Exploration and Experiments on the ISS” by clicking on this link.
- Astronauts explain their life aboard the ISS to the explorer mascot PAXI here.
The ESERO France team is available to support you throughout this project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at esero.france@cnes.fr.
We hope to see many of you again for this new season!
