It should be the last press briefing with Alexander Gerst from the ISS. We saw the astronauts, listened to him. Then the image was gone. Back to the disappointed Reporter and unasked questions remained.
Somewhere between the International space station (ISS), Houston in the United States, Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich and the German center for air and space travel (DLR) in Cologne, the audio signal is lost. After a few minutes, a patient and friendly disappears into the camera smiling Alexander Gerst of the image area.
“I’m sorry”, apologizes, Marco Trovatello, spokesman for the European space Agency (ESA). “This is something that can unfortunately happen.” So far it had happened but never – at least not when you try to let Gerst from the ISS with journalists on the earth. The last press conference in June, live from the ISS was a success
“There is a Problem”
On time at 13:40 of the first German commander appears to be, in a slight angle, floating on the screen. Suddenly there is a silence in the Foyer of the DLR. Journalists of the ARD, the ZDF and the BBC have come to Gerst exactly a question. We of the DW would have been in seventh place on it. The video switch should only take 20 minutes. The clock is ticking. All are eagerly waiting for the first sound.
The ISS is orbiting at 28,000 kilometers per hour around the earth. This can disturb the connection already
Minutes little else is heard as the eager Click of the cameras. Minutes Astro Alex hin floats “” in front of our eyes gently to and fro. Minutes happens: Nothing. Then from somewhere: “There are in Houston to be a Problem.” When, finally, the video signal is lost, remains Trovatello nothing else left to declare as the event to be over. Disappointed babble of voices rises, the first to assail the press Secretary with questions.
“It seems to be always, as it would be quite easy to have a connection to the ISS and talk with Alex,” said Trovatello. But it was during the six-month stay of Gerst on the space station actually only about ten to twelve Times. The reason is the enormous technical effort that it requires, a stable connection between the with 28,000 kilometers per hour through space frenzied ISS and the earth.
Volker Schmid is not Worried because of the hole in the Soyuz capsule
Forewarned is forearmed
We take the opportunity to speak with Volker Schmid. Schmid, the head of the DLR mission teams in the Horizon Mission of Alexander Gerst. A good opportunity for him, according to the tiny hole in the Soyuz capsule to the questions, the only yesterday by Russian cosmonauts during a foreign operation inspected. “The hole is likely to be a production error, the overlooked, the quality of acceptance, or for non-dramatic was found,” explains Schmid.
Also when first red alert was declared and the entire Mission prior to a premature termination, is the danger now. The small hole was quickly sealed and isolated. The return of Alexander Gerst just before Christmas, nothing stands in the way.
On 22.12. not Gerst will then be the next press conference, however, in the absence of gravity. With stable picture and sound – probably.
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Photo Album of an astronautSo much more than research
“Hello Berlin-from up here you can see no limits!”, tweeted Alexander Gerst on 9. November 2014, the 25. Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. In 166 days, he carried out experiments in numerous scientific disciplines. An important research performance! But Alexander Gerst touched people emotionally, through the picture he gives of our “Blue Dot”.
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Photo Album of an astronautGerst polar lights observed
To fly “by polar lights cannot be put into words,” says Alexander Gerst. He has observed this natural phenomenon of the ISS. And he was pursuing a scientific goal: He wanted to explore the influence of electromagnetic radiation on electronic devices.
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Photo Album of an astronautThe Definition of endlessness
The Sahara is often referred to as the endless desert. The recordings of Alexander Gerst on in Libya, shows that the sandy dunes have a starting and ending point.
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Photo Album of an astronautTime to get Up!
Most of the people in Florida were asleep, probably, when Alexander Gerst and his colleagues took this snapshot just before sunrise. If you knew that six astronauts observed in All of them the Slumber …
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Photo Album of an astronautMeteorite crater seen from space
It is neither a mountain, nor a volcano. In this photo of Gerst is a meteorite crater in Arizona. The crater is 1186 meters in diameter and 180 meters deep.
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Photo Album of an astronautThe eye of the storm
It’s just a tiny hole in the clouds seems to be a ceiling – but in fact, this hole has a diameter of 80 kilometers! Although it looks very intriguing, typhoons like this regularly enormous damage to the earth’s surface.
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Photo Album of an astronautBe the most mournful picture
Alexander Gersts pictures show unadulterated snapshots. This photo shows a worrying developments: the conflict between Israel and Gaza – flying rockets and explosions.
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Photo Album of an astronautGlowing Atmosphere
A special phenomenon: on the earth, you rarely have the Chance to be able to Northern lights watching. Gerst had the good fortune to be able to this wonderful image from space to shoot.
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Photo Album of an astronautPhotos not just a pastime
Astronauts put their photos also for scientific purposes: the images of The by the Wind, jagged valleys in North Africa can be used for comparative studies. So you can notice changes in the landscape and analyze, what is the share of the person in such changes.
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Photo Album of an astronautblue dot is not blue everywhere
In many regions of the world freshwater is scarce. The circles on the image are not the work of aliens, but irrigation in dry areas of Mexico. Some of the experiments, Gerst engaged in food supply. The astronauts planted on the ISS, a salad, and worked to reduce the water consumption of the plants.
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Photo Album of an astronautLike an oil Painting
Some of Gersts pictures look like masterpieces of famous painters. This photo actually shows a curve of the river in Kazakhstan, eats its way through the landscape. Also oxbow lakes that are cut off from the main flow of the river, you can discover on this recording.