Pilot, meteorologist vying to be 1st German female astronaut
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A fighter pilot and a meteorologist have made the finals in the race to become Germany's first female astronaut.
A private group is hoping to raise 50 million euros ($53.6 million) to send a German woman to the International Space Station by 2020.
Until now, Germany's eleven astronauts have all been male, starting with Sigmund Jaehn from East Germany in 1978.
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The group received applications from 400 women, of whom 80 underwent medical and psychological tests at the German Aerospace Center.
A panel of experts picked the two finalists — German air force Eurofighter jet pilot Maj. Nicola Baumann and meteorologist Insa Thiele-Eich.
The finalists were announced Wednesday at an event in Berlin. Both will start training, and the winner will be selected at a later date with the other as backup.