Time and Space bonus episode: 40 years of European space exploration

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, an experienced spaceflyer, spacewalker, and former ISS commander, shares insights into his role as head of astronaut operations at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre. Tune in as he talks with us about guiding the next generation of astronauts through training and preparing them for their future in space exploration. This is Episode 8 of our ESA Explores podcast series, delving into everything you want to know about the ESA astronaut class of 2022. Recorded in April 2024. Find out more about Alexander: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Alexander_Gerst About the ESA astronaut class of 2022: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts2022/esa-astronaut-candidates/ About astronaut operations at EAC: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/EAC/Operations Glossary: AsCan - Astronaut Candidate, EAC - European Astronaut Centre, EUROCOM - European Communicator and Medical Operations, EVA - Extravehicular Activity Host and audio editing by Laura Zurmühlen, featuring music by Denzel Lorge and cover art by Gaël Nadaud.

Katherine Bennell-Pegg from the Australian Space Agency joined ESA’s astronaut candidates from the class of 2022 for basic training through a cooperation agreement with ESA. Tune in as she shares her experiences in astronaut training, her favourite lessons, and what keeps her inspired on her journey to the stars! This is episode 7 of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022, recorded in March 2024. Find out more about the ESA astronaut class of 2022: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts2022/esa-astronaut-candidates/ Glossary: AsCan - Astronaut Candidate, EAC - European Astronaut Centre, EVA - Extravehicular Activity Host and audio editing by Laura Zurmühlen, featuring music by Denzel Lorge and cover art by Gaël Nadaud.

Sophie Adenot is one of ESA's five astronaut candidates currently undergoing basic astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. Tune in as she shares her experiences in astronaut training, her favourite lessons, as well as tips on maintaining the balance and achieving your dreams. This is Episode 6 of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022, recorded in November 2023. Find out more about Sophie: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Sophie_Adenot And about ESA’s astronaut class of 2022: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts2022/esa-astronaut-candidates/ Glossary: AsCan - Astronaut Candidate, EAC - European Astronaut Centre, ESTEC - ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre, EVA - Extravehicular Activity, NBF - Neutral Buoyancy Facility Music and audio editing by Denzel Lorge. Cover art by Gaël Nadaud.

Pablo Álvarez Fernández, one of ESA's five astronaut candidates currently undergoing basic astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, shares his experiences in astronaut training, his favourite lessons, and his view on the future of space exploration. Also, stay tuned to hear his favourite space-related quote and movie! This is Episode 5 of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022, recorded in November 2023. Find out more about Pablo: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Pablo_Alvarez_Fernandez And about ESA’s astronaut class of 2022: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts2022/esa-astronaut-candidates/ Glossary: AsCan - Astronaut Candidate, EAC - European Astronaut Centre, EVA - Extravehicular Activity Music and audio editing by Denzel Lorge. Cover art by Gaël Nadaud.

Rosemary Coogan, one of ESA’s five astronaut candidates currently undergoing basic astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, shares her journey from studying the stars as an astronomer to training for space travel. Join us as we talk about her experiences in astronaut training, her favourite lessons, and her excitement for the future of space exploration. This is Episode 4 of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022, recorded in November 2023. Find out more about Rosemary: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Rosemary_Coogan And about ESA’s astronaut class of 2022: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts2022/esa-astronaut-candidates/ Learn more about ESA’s Euclid mission here: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid Glossary: AsCan - Astronaut Candidate, EAC - European Astronaut Centre, EVA - Extravehicular Activity Music and audio editing by Denzel Lorge. Cover art by Gaël Nadaud.

Marco Sieber is one of ESA’s five astronaut candidates currently undergoing basic astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne. Join us as we speak to Marco about his first months of training and living in Germany, his background as a medical doctor, his favourite training lessons, and what he is excited about for the future of space exploration. This is the third episode of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022. It was recorded in November 2023. Find out more about Marco: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Marco_Alain_Sieber And about ESA’s astronaut class of 2022: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts2022/esa-astronaut-candidates/ Music and audio editing by Denzel Lorge. Cover art by Gaël Nadaud.

Raphaël Liégeois is one of ESA’s five astronaut candidates currently undergoing basic astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne. Join us as we speak to Raphaël about his first months of training and living in Germany, the philosophy of neuroscience, piloting hot air balloons, his favourite training lesson so far, and what he is excited about for the future of space exploration. This is the second episode of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022. It was recorded in November 2023. Find out more about Raphaël: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Raphael_Liegeois And about ESA’s astronaut class of 2022: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts2022/esa-astronaut-candidates/ Here’s the answer to one of our most FAQ ;) https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2023/11/How_to_go_to_the_toilet_in_space_-_English Music and audio editing by Denzel Lorge. Cover art by Gaël Nadaud.

ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt will soon be launched to the International Space Station for his first spaceflight mission. Marcus is the first member of ESA’s astronaut class of 2022 to fly into space, as the opportunity came to fly on a commercial human spaceflight mission with Axiom Space. Hear from Marcus as he tells us all about his fast-track mission training in Europe and around the world, from intercultural teamwork to space science, and what he’s most looking forward to during his Muninn mission. This is the first episode of our new ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022. It was recorded in November 2023. Find out more about Marcus on our ESA Exploration blog: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts/marcus-wandt/ Music and audio editing by Denzel Lorge. Cover art by Gaël Nadaud.

Welcome to a special bonus episode of our Time and Space series on the ESA Explores podcast! Join us in commemorating the 40th anniversary of Spacelab's maiden flight, a pivotal moment in European space history. We're thrilled to chat with Ulf Merbold, ESA's first astronaut in space, as we reflect on 40 years of space exploration. Explore his remarkable journey—from pioneering missions to his vision for the future of space exploration. Audio editing by Denzel Lorge.   Additional content: Find out more about Ulf here or listen to our episode: Time and space: ESA’s first astronaut | ESA Explores (podbean.com). Read more about the 40-year anniversary of Spacelab-1 and discover Spacelab-1’s enduring legacy and its impact on future space exploration here: ESA – Spacelab to Gateway: 40 years of modules for people in space.

ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer will soon be launched to the International Space Station for a six-month stay in orbit. In this podcast, he talks about his training, the differences he's found between the Russian and American spacesuits, the role of the new European Robotic Arm (ERA), whether he's packed, science and what he's most looking forward to during his Cosmic Kiss mission. Note: this episode was recorded just prior to the launch of Russia's new MLM module, which travelled to the Station on 21 July with ERA attached to its back. Matthias is scheduled to launch as a member of Crew-3 in a SpaceX Crew Dragon no earlier than 31 October 2021.