ESA Explores

ESA Explores: becoming an astronaut

As the European Space Agency (ESA) recruits its first astronauts in over 10 years, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano shares his journey to spaceflight and some of the qualities he's observed in his fellow space explorers. 

Luca has now flown two six-month missions to the International Space Station, but did he always want to be an astronaut? What do astronauts do when they're not in space? And what advice would Luca give to astronaut hopefuls? This second episode in our space careers series covers all this and more. ESA's accepting applications for the role of Astronaut and Astronaut (with a physical disability) until 28 May 2021. Visit esa.int/YourWayToSpace for how to apply. 

 

ESA Explores: space careers

To mark the opening of the European Space Agency's first astronaut selection in over a decade, we embark on a journey into the wonderful world of space careers. In this initial episode, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration David Parker introduces the ESA astronaut selection and the qualities ESA is looking for in its new recruits.

Host Ally Koehler asks about the newly introduced 'Parastronaut Fly!' feasibility project in which ESA is opening its application process to qualified candidates living with a physical disability, and David reveals whether or not he has astronaut aspirations. 

For more on ESA's astronaut selection visit esa.int/YourWayToSpace and stay tuned for future episodes of this special season. All applications must be submitted via ESA's careers website by the time applications close on 28 May 2021. 

Audio editing by Stephen Ennis. 

Time and Space: launching Columbus to orbit

The addition of ESA's Columbus laboratory, and the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) programme, changed the shape of European participation on the International Space Station. But its launch came at a challenging time for human spaceflight.

In this episode ESA astronaut Frank De Winne and former ESA International Space Station programme manager Bernardo Patti talk about Columbus' launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis, the tragedy that preceded it, and what the science lab has enabled for Europeans in space to this day. 

On 31 March 2021, ESA is opening applications for its first astronaut recruitment round in more than a decade. Visit esa.int/YourWayToSpace to find out more and #MakeYourWayToSpace

Time and Space: entering the ISS era

It's not just Europeans who have flown into orbit, Europe has also produced some impressive pieces of space-worthy kit. In this episode, hosts Ally Koehler and Stephen Ennis take a look at some of the post-SpaceLab ESA projects that never quite made it, before entering the International Space Station era with guests Philippe Berthe, Frank De Winne, and Alan Thirkettle.  

Philippe is ESA Project Coordination Manager for the European Service Modules (ESM) that will power NASA's Orion spacecraft that will fly around – and to – the Moon. Frank was the first European commander of the International Space Station. He currently wears many hats, including ESA International Space Station Programme Manager. Alan is an engineering expert and was ESA's first ISS Programme Manager. 

Please forgive audio quality in some parts of this episode. All content was recorded remotely due to COVID-19 regulations. 

ESA Explores: agency heads look forward to the Moon

ESA Director General Jan Wörner and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine sit down with hosts Ally Koehler and Stephen Ennis to talk about collaboration and the future of space exploration – including a new space station around the Moon. This episode was recorded just ahead of the 20 year anniversary of humans living and working on the International Space Station on 2 November 2020. 

Please note, there are some issues with audio quality due to the nature of recording remotely during a pandemic. We hope these don't detract from your listening experience. Enjoy!

Time and space: ESA's first astronaut

In this episode of our ESA Explores Time and Space series we chat with the first ESA astronaut to fly to space, physicist Ulf Merbold.

Ulf flew on the 9th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle programme and the first flight of European-built Spacelab in 1983. As the first west German to fly to space, he talks us through his experiences – including his relationship with the late Sigmund Jähn, what life was like as first non-US citizen on a NASA spacecraft and how the astronauts and cosmonauts he worked with became like family through the years. 

Additional content:

Find out more about Ulf here: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Ulf_Merbold

Watch the NASA/ESA Spacelab documentary here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/Undated/Spacelab_-_A_New_Direction#.X70FccAUHCs.link

NASA Public Affairs Officer Lori Meggs talks about the 30th anniversary of the Spacelab programme with former Marshall Space Flight Center Deputy Director Teresa Vanhooser here: https://youtu.be/5ukl5ySa6ZA 

 

Time and space: building a Spacelab

One of the first engineers to work on Spacelab Alan Thirkettle talks hosts Ally and Stephen through the unexpected challenges and memorable moments of building a science laboratory for space.

This unique European-built research facility flew inside NASA's Space Shuttle. It enabled the first flight of a non-American astronaut on a NASA spacecraft in 1983. It also paved the way for ESA's current laboratory on the International Space Station and the future of research in space. 

Related watching:

Spacelab - a new direction
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/Undated/Spacelab_-_A_New_Direction#.X5AEwxB0wGw.link

Time and Space: the first Europeans in orbit

In episode one of ESA Explores' Time and Space series, we explore the early days of Soviet spaceflight in conversation with Romania's first cosmonaut Dorin Prunariu. Dorin was one of 11 Europeans to fly under Russia's Interkosmos programme. In 1978, this programme saw the first European - Czech cosmonaut Vladimir Remek - become the first non-Russian or American to fly to space. 

Interview with Dorin starts at 05:17. 

AstroChat - training for the Space Station

ESA astronauts Thomas Pesquet and Matthias Maurer take the time to chat while training for upcoming missions to the International Space Station missions at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, USA. 

This audio was originally a four-part video series filmed in June 2020. You can watch the full series on ESA's YouTube channel. 

ESA Explores – ESA missions return to science

After a brief shutdown of science instruments and a period in ‘safe standby’, ESA’s planetary missions are getting back to what they do best – gathering science data from around the Solar System.

 

Paolo Ferri, Head of Mission Operations at ESA’s mission control centre in Germany, and Markus Kissler-Patig, Head of Science and Operations at the Agency’s ESAC Astronomy Centre in Spain discuss the extraordinary and challenging times facing teams on the ground, the return to science for four key missions, and what it's like to make key decisions about the safety of their workforce and Europe’s fleet of space explorers in light of a global pandemic.

 

This podcast episode was originally released in April 2020.