ESA Explores

Step inside the Columbus Control Centre near Munich, in Germany, and discover what it takes to keep ESA's Columbus science laboratory running—24 hours a day, 365 days a year, as Columbus Flight Director Tristan Hermel takes us through how teams on the ground in mission control coordinate operations, support astronauts and work with international partners across the globe.

See what life behind the consoles really looks like at a time when ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot is on board the Space Station for her Epsilon mission.

This interview was recorded in January 2026.

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Step inside astronaut training with ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez Fernández as he shares his training journey from Cologne in Germany to Houston in the US. Discover what it’s like to wear a 145 kg spacesuit underwater, train for emergencies like fires and ammonia leaks and prepare for the ultimate astronaut dream: a spacewalk. Plus, Pablo talks about life in Houston, teamwork under pressure and what’s next on his path to the stars. 

This interview was recorded in December 2024. 

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Meet Carmen Possnig—medical doctor, space physiology researcher and ESA astronaut reserve member. In this episode, she shares how her time at Concordia Station in Antarctica and research into hypoxia and microgravity adaptation connect to future space habitats and missions. We talk about astronaut reserve training, winter survival in the snow and the human drive to explore.

In this miniseries, we take you on a journey through the ESA Astronaut Reserve, diving into the first part of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany. Our “ARTists” are immersing themselves in everything from ESA and the International Space Station programme to the European space industry and institutions. They’re gaining hands-on experience in technical skills like spacecraft systems and robotics, alongside human behaviour, scientific lessons, scuba diving and survival training.

ESA’s Astronaut Reserve Training programme is all about building Europe’s next generation of space explorers—preparing them for the opportunities of future missions in Earth orbit and beyond.

This interview was recorded in February 2025.

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Meet John McFall – Paralympian, medical doctor and member of ESA’s Astronaut Reserve. As part of ESA’s groundbreaking FLY initiative, John is helping prove that physical disability is no barrier to space. In this episode, he shares the results of a feasibility study showing no technical showstoppers for flying to the International Space Station with a prosthesis and talks about what’s next—from hardware certification and scientific proposals to astronaut reserve training and running in microgravity.

In this miniseries, we take you on a journey through the ESA Astronaut Reserve, diving into the first part of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany. Our “ARTists” are immersing themselves in everything from ESA and the International Space Station programme to the European space industry and institutions. They’re gaining hands-on experience in technical skills like spacecraft systems and robotics, alongside human behaviour, scientific lessons, scuba diving and survival training.

ESA’s Astronaut Reserve Training programme is all about building Europe’s next generation of space explorers—preparing them for the opportunities of future missions in Earth orbit and beyond.

This interview was recorded in February 2025.

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Meet Meganne Christian — With a PhD in industrial chemistry and hands-on experience in extreme environments, Meganne has tested graphene coatings in microgravity and led atmospheric research during winter-over missions at Concordia Station in Antarctica. Her career spans science, engineering and exploration — and now includes astronaut reserve training with ESA. 

In this miniseries, we take you on a journey through the ESA Astronaut Reserve, diving into the first part of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany. Our “ARTists” are immersing themselves in everything from ESA and the International Space Station programme to the European space industry and institutions. They’re gaining hands-on experience in technical skills like spacecraft systems and robotics, alongside human behaviour, scientific lessons, scuba diving and survival training. 

ESA’s Astronaut Reserve Training programme is all about building Europe’s next generation of space explorers—preparing them for the opportunities of future missions in Earth orbit and beyond.

This interview was recorded in February 2025.

Keep exploring with ESA Explores!