ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet takes you on a tour of the International Space Station like no other. Filmed with a 360 camera, the Space Station 360 series lets you explore for yourself alongside Thomas’s explanation – episode four is @NASA’s Quest airlock.
The Quest airlock is the Station’s smallest module, but it is vital for going on spacewalks. This is where the astronauts suit up into their spacesuits, prepare for the spacewalk and enter the airlock to go outside for maintenance, installing new equipment or science experiments.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet takes you on a tour of the International Space Station like no other. Filmed with a 360 camera, the Space Station 360 series lets you explore for yourself alongside Thomas’s explanation – this is the Kibo module.
Kibo is the Japanese module, also known as the Japanese Experiment Module or JEM. Thomas takes you through the hardware available for the astronauts and researchers on Earth and the unique airlock and storage space in Kibo.
The video is part of a series with Thomas showing each module in full 360 surround video. Click and drag with your mouse or move your smartphone around to see different angles and feel like you are in space with Thomas.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Does your weekend include any home improvements? Ours does! On Sun. Sept. 12 at 8:30 a.m. EDT (12:30 UTC), watch Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet venture outside the International Space Station to perform upgrades to the orbiting lab.
The duo will spend approximately 6.5 hours in the vacuum of space preparing the space station for the installation of its third new roll-up solar array.
NASA TV coverage starts at 7 a.m. EDT (11:00 UTC). Set a reminder to watch live!
Work is under way to sort and assess applications from more than 22 500 ESA astronaut hopefuls. The rigorous selection process will take around 18 months. Initial screening to ensure that basic criteria are met will be followed by medical and psychological tests, exercises and interviews.
ESA plans to recruit 4-6 new astronauts through this 2021-22 selection round to support the future of European space exploration. This is likely to include missions to the International Space Station as well as the Moon. As part of the selection process, ESA is also assessing the feasibility of flying an astronaut with a physical disability.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
An historic milestone for Perseverance, a busy week of activity at the space station, and a target launch date for the Webb Space Telescope … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
Every element of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System rocket, and ground systems is now at Kennedy Space Center — the final stop on planet Earth before the uncrewed Artemis I mission around the Moon. These critical components are being primed for flight through final assembly, stacking, and fueling operations. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, the Artemis I flight test will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Watch the full replay of ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer’s pre-launch news conference at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.
Held in both English and German on 9 September 2021, the conference covers ESA’s vision for human and robotic exploration as well as the science and operations Matthias will support on the International Space Station during his six-month Cosmic Kiss mission.
Cosmic Kiss is Matthias’s first space mission. He will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA as a member of US Commercial Crew-3 alongside @NASA astronauts Thomas Marshburn, Raja Chari and Kayla Barron.
While in orbit, Matthias will support over 35 European experiments and many more international experiments. He will also be the first European to perform a Russian spacewalk since Thomas Reiter in the 1990s. Knowledge gained through the Cosmic Kiss mission will shape the future of space exploration and help enhance life on Earth.
Conference panellists are: ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration David Parker, ESA International Space Station Programme Manager and Head of EAC Frank De Winne, Director General of @DLR and Member of the DLR Executive Board Walther Pelzer, and ESA Astronaut Matthias Maurer. This conference was moderated by ESA Communication Programme Officer for Human and Robotic Exploration Marco Trovatello.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Do aliens exist? Extraterrestrial life has never been discovered. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And at NASA, astrobiologists like Dr. Lindsay Hays are trying to answer one of the most profound questions ever: Is there life beyond Earth? Explore more: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/
Producer: Scott Bednar Producer/Editor: Jessica Wilde
In this artist’s rendition, we explore a metallic world named Psyche, an asteroid that offers a unique window into the building blocks of planet formation. The NASA Psyche mission launches in 2022 and will arrive at the asteroid Psyche, which orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, in 2026. The spacecraft, also named Psyche, will spend 21 months orbiting the asteroid, mapping it and studying its properties. The mission is led by Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies is providing a high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis.
Thomas Pesquet took part in a discussion with the EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, and the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius. The inflight call took place during their visit to ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, where they were accompanied by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Watch over one hour of our planet, seen from the International Space Station, in 4K resolution. This compilation was made from video taken by ESA astronauts, mostly by Thomas Pesquet during his first mission, Proxima, and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst on his second mission, Horizons, as well as footage from Samantha Cristoforetti’s Futura mission and Paolo Nespoli’s Vita mission.
Flying 400 km above our amazing planet Earth, the Space Station travels at 28 800 km/h to stay in orbit. The videos are in real time and not sped up or edited. Most of the scenes were filmed in the European-built Cupola module, the Space Station’s observatory.
On 21 April 2001, the first ESA astronaut Umberto Guidoni arrived at the Space Station. Since then, the Space Station has grown immensely, as have the number of Europeans to have worked in it, together with the science experiments performed in orbit.
Europe contributes around 8% of the running costs of the International Space Station, but has built a large part of the structure, including ESA’s Columbus laboratory, the Cupola observatory, the Tranquillity and Harmony modules, as well as the computers that collect data and provide navigation, communications and operations for the Russian segment.
ESA also provided the Space Station with supplies and boosted its orbit through five Automated Transfer Vehicles, the heaviest and most versatile Space Station supply ferry. This programme evolved into the European Service Modules that ESA is supplying for @NASA’s Artemis programme, taking humans forward to the Moon and thus continuing the exemplary international collaboration beyond Earth’s orbit.
Since Umberto’s mission, there have been 26 further ESA astronaut missions to the International Space Station, with astronauts flying to Station on either the Russian Soyuz or US Space Shuttle spacecraft.
Thomas Pesquet’s second mission, Alpha, is the 28th mission for ESA, with ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer already lined up for his first flight later this year, and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti scheduled for the 30th ESA International Space Station mission in 2022.
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
A long-distance call to space, space station cameras capture Hurricane Ida, and another successful cargo delivery to the station … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
The ExoMars team have performed important parachute drop tests as crucial preparation for a safe touchdown on Mars in 2023. The European Rosalind Franklin rover will search for signs of past life beneath the surface of Mars with its unique two metre drill and onboard laboratory. The Russian surface science platform Kazachok will study the environment at the landing site. Landing on Mars is always a challenging endeavour and all possible parameters are taken into account.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Is there weather on Mars? Short answer: yes! And just like on Earth it varies wildly. Now, thanks to the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer, or MEDA instrument on NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover, we’re learning even more about Martian meteorology with daily weather reports. Over to José Antonio Rodríguez-Manfredi at the Spanish Astrobiology Center for more. Find out more about MEDA: https://go.nasa.gov/3lNuKWK
Producer: Scott Bednar Producer/Editor: Jessica Wilde
Here’s the space burger recipe of ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet: “Tortillas, rehydrated beef patty, fresh onion from a cargo vehicle, a slice of lettuce (grown on the International Space Station for a scientific experiment: don’t tell), and various sauces. It tasted like heaven, and flew like an angel”
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet takes you on a tour of the International Space Station like no other. Filmed with a 360 camera, the Space Station 360 series lets you explore for yourself alongside Thomas’s explanation – this is the Node 2 module.
Node 2 is a European-built connecting module also known as Harmony that acts as an internal passageway and utility hub. Its exterior also serves as a work platform for the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, and has docking ports for spacecraft.
In this video, Thomas shows the different modules that Node 2 connects: Europe’s Columbus Laboratory, the US lab Destiny and the Japanese Kibo Laboratory. He also shows workspaces and sleeping cabins where astronauts can have some personal space and sleep with their sleeping bags attached to the wall.
Click and drag with your mouse or move your smartphone around see different angles and feel like you are in space with Thomas.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
On Sun. Aug. 29, don’t miss the second launch attempt of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Live coverage of the mission begins at 2:45 a.m. EDT (06:45 UTC) with liftoff targeted for 3:14 a.m. EDT (07:14 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
In addition to approximately 2,300 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of science experiments riding aboard the spacecraft, the crew can look forward to assortments of cheese, ice cream, and veggies! Docking to the orbiting lab is targeted for Mon., Aug. 30, at 11 a.m. EDT (15:00 UTC).
Highlighting the value of NASA, the next resupply mission to the space station, and a milestone for the James Webb Space Telescope … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
LAUNCH UPDATE: Due to weather, today’s SpaceX cargo mission is postponed. The next attempt is Sun. Aug. 29 with our live coverage beginning at 2:45 a.m. EDT (06:45 UTC). Liftoff is targeted for 3:14 a.m. EDT (07:14 UTC).
Join us Sat. Aug. 28 at 3:15 a.m. EDT (07:15 UTC) for live coverage of the next SpaceX mission to the International Space Station! Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo spacecraft is targeted for 3:37 a.m. EDT (07:37 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Riding aboard the spacecraft are approximately 2,300 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of science experiments, including research on osteoporosis, a remote-controlled drug delivery system, and more! Docking to the orbiting lab is targeted for Sun., Aug. 29, at 11 a.m. EDT (15:00 UTC).
Before the season came to an end, @thom_astro captured this timelapse of the aurora australis from the @iss and shared it on his social media channels saying: “We’ve been looking, but there’s nothing to see anymore in our aurora sweet spot (southwest of Australia, midway to Antarctica). Don’t worry, I still have a few to share. Don’t you just 💚 the way the light skips across Earth in this one as the solar arrays comes into view.”
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
The astronauts aboard the International Space Station are ready for a big delivery of science experiments and supplies! From seeds to a robotic arm, NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough discuss the investigations they are excited to welcome aboard station during SpaceX’s 23nd commercial resupply mission. The SpaceX CRS-23 mission is scheduled to arrive at the orbiting laboratory on August 29.
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet gives a tour of the International Space Station’s airlock – the module used to prepare for and carry out spacewalks.
In this video, Thomas provides an overview of the EMU spacesuit used for US spacewalks and its different components. The spacesuits can be adjusted depending on an astronaut’s size, but the gloves are customised to ensure each astronaut has maximum mobility in their hands and fingers.
Thomas shows the cameras and lighting systems that allow astronauts to continue work when over the side of Earth not lit by the sun, the visors they put down during periods of harsh light and the cooling garments worn under the suits that keep their bodies at the right temperature. He also explains the equipment lock and the crew lock, where astronauts breathe in a controlled way to rid their blood of nitrogen and adjust to the lower pressure of space.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Will an asteroid ever hit Earth? There are no known impact threats, but tiny meteors burn up in Earth’s atmosphere all the time! NASA asteroid expert Dr. Kelly Fast tells us more. Learn more about NASA’s planetary defense efforts: nasa.gov/planetarydefense
Water is life, on Earth and in space. Dutch ESA astronaut André Kuipers recounts his experience living in space for 204 days, and his time looking back on the blue face of ‘Planet Aqua’, comparing notes with divers about what is going on beneath the waves. He goes on to explore how space technology is being used for water management, from orbital tracking of water quality and pollution to spacecraft-grade recycling systems deployed down on the ground, as well as ambitious efforts to identify marine plastic litter using satellites. Produced for SIWI World Water Week with the support of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Artemis missions will build a community on the Moon, driving a new lunar economy and inspiring a new generation. Narrator Drew Barrymore and NASA team members explain why returning to the Moon is the natural next step in human exploration, and how the lessons learned from Artemis will pave the way to Mars and beyond. As NASA prepares to launch the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket on the uncrewed Artemis I mission around the Moon, we’ve already begun to take the next step.
Video Credits: Writer: Paul Wizikowski Directors: Paul Wizikowski and Ryan Cristelli Editor: Phil Sexton Producers: Barbara Zelon and Aly Lee
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet takes you on a tour of the International Space Station like no other. Filmed with a 360 camera, the Space Station 360 series lets you explore for yourself alongside Thomas’s explanation – starting with Europe’s science laboratory, Columbus.
Columbus is not the Station’s largest module, but it is one of the best equipped. It is the place where European astronauts conduct most of their work on board and has an external platform that allows experiments to be exposed to the vacuum of space. In addition to science racks, Columbus offers storage space and even a new crew quarter for sleeping. Click and drag with your mouse or move your smartphone around see different angles and feel like you too are in space.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Highlighting an upcoming Earth-observing mission, the science on the next resupply mission to the space station, and testing a new material to help future spacecraft land on distant worlds … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
Star Trek has served as inspiration to generations of scientists, engineers and sci-fi fans around the world. Join Rod Roddenberry, Gene Roddenberry’s son and Roddenberry Entertainment CEO, George Takei, actor and activist, Administrator Bill Nelson and some of NASA’s best and brightest as they honor Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s 100th birthday with a conversation about diversity and inspiration. NASA panelists include: Hortense Diggs, Director of the Office of Communication and Public Engagement at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Tracy Drain, Europa Clipper Flight Systems Engineer, astronaut Jonny Kim, and Swati Mohan, Mars 2020 Guidance and Controls Operations Lead.
00:00-2:55 Administrator Nelson’s opening remarks 2:55-5:23 Rod Roddenberry’s opening remarks 5:23-6:30 Rod Roddenberry introduces panelists 6:30-10:25 George Takei recalls his experience with Star Trek 10:25-20:29 Panelists discuss what inspires them 20:29-29:03 Q/A from George Takei 29:03-41:21 Panelists discuss how they got to where they are today 41:21-43:17 Rod Roddenberry’s closing remarks
Here’s the space burger recipe of ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet: “Tortillas, rehydrated beef patty, fresh onion from a cargo vehicle, a slice of lettuce (grown on the International Space Station for a scientific experiment: don’t tell), and various sauces. It tasted like heaven, and flew like an angel”
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Join ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet for a tour of the International Space Station’s Russian MLM module. The module docked to the Station on 29 July 2021, bringing with it the European Robotic Arm (ERA) that will provide unprecedented access outside the Russian segment.
In this tour, Thomas explains what happened when the module arrived on Station and gives an overview of its facilities and functions. Short for Multipurpose Laboratory Module, and also known as Nauka, the module increases opportunities for science and research in microgravity.
Thomas shows the hatch to access the module, its main hall and a new toilet – the third toilet for the Space Station. He also shows the scientific racks, the piloting station for ERA, a crew quarter, and a second part of the module that will be used for docking with an airlock that will allow experiments to be sent out into the vacuum of space, and a window that – once it is functional – will provide more incredible views over Earth.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
The 23rd SpaceX cargo resupply mission carrying scientific research and technology demonstrations launches to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in late August. Experiments aboard include an investigation of protecting bone health with vegetal byproducts, testing a way to monitor crew eye health, demonstrating improved dexterity of robots, exposing materials to the harsh environment of space, mitigating stress in plants, and more.
Meet bag, bottle and straw, three bits of plastic left on the beach. They are only small, but they are heading into the ocean, where they could cause big damage. ESA is exploring how satellites can help detect and reduce plastic pollution in the ocean. From spotting build-ups of marine litter to tracking ocean currents, satellites could be game-changing in tackling this enormous environmental problem.
Though engaging for children and adults alike, this video is designed with primary school students in mind. In particular, teachers can use it to introduce the topic of marine litter in subjects such as geography and science.
Credits: ESA – Science Office Project coordination: Nicole Shearer (EJR-Quartz for ESA) and Mariana Barrosa (Science Office) Scientific advice: Peter de Maagt and Paolo Corradi (both ESA), Joana Mira Veiga (Deltares) Educational advice: Petra de Clippelaar (BSO ‘t Vogelnest) and Connor Mackelvey (Iroquois Elementary School) Design and animation: David Santos and Rui Braz (both Science Office)
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Capturing a spacecraft requires a complex choreography between human and machine, but these two make it look easy. In this video ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet and @NASA astronaut Megan McArthur work together to grapple and berth the @Northrop Grumman Cygnus 16 spacecraft on the Earth-facing port of the Unity module on the International Space Station.
At 12:07 CEST (11:07 BST) Thursday 12 August, Megan used the International Space Station’s robotic Canadarm2 to grapple the spacecraft packed with over 3700 kg of science and supplies as Thomas monitored Cygnus systems during its approach.
The Cygnus will remain docked to the Station for about three months before it departs in November 2021.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
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