A European Space Agency (ESA) initiative created in 1998 by ESA Member States participating in the International Space Station programme and completed in 2002. The Corps’ goal is to unite their respective astronaut teams with the existing ESA core team to form a single European Astronaut Corps. The Corps currently consists of 13 active members from Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The Corps not only enhances ESA’s human space-flight reputation but also increases the probability of ESA astronauts being assigned to a mission. To date, all the original class of 2009 have now flown in space. On 2 February 2017, German native Matthias Maurer started astronaut training as part of the European Astronaut Corps.