Thomas Pesquet and Alexander Gerst share a joke on stage at SocialSpace Credit: DLR/ESA/A. Morellon (CC-BY 3.0)
Alexander Gerst and Thomas Pesquet are clearly looking forward to their missions.
During German Aerospace Day it was announced that Alexander Gerst’s mission next year will be named The Blue Dot. Speaking on stage at #SocialSpace, Gerst echoed Carl Sagan’s famous speech about all the life you know existing on one pale, blue dot.
Gerst and Thomas Pesquet discussed their future adventures in space and some of the experiments they will carry out.
Alexander Gerst talks about his upcoming mission at SocialSpace Credit: DLR/ESA/A. Morellon (CC-BY 3.0)
“There are lots of good experiments going on that are fascinating in lots of different ways, ” says Gerst. “There are some that we just install and the science is done by the control station on the ground, and then there are other ones where I need to get my hands into the glovebox and manipulate things and keep the data, communicating with the investigator on the ground.”
Gerst’s mission is slated to begin on 28 May 2014.
“My main training is already almost complete,” says Gerst, who tweets under the name @astro_alex.
“I have one week of training left on docking the ATV, so that I can help is something goes wrong with the automated docking. Then already it will be time for my backup launch, because I am a backup for the crew starting on November 7. I need to be ready to launch into space just in case.”
Thomas Pesquet snaps a picture of Alexander Gerst on stage at SocialSpace Credit: DLR/ESA/A. Morellon (CC-BY 3.0)
Thomas Pesquet had a challenge for the group: find a new social media activity for his mission. “The others will have done everything by the time I get there, so I need something new from you!” he said, to loud cheers and applause in the tent.
Of course, you can tell him directly on @Thom_astro as well. He even tweeted from the #SocialSpace stage!
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