Astronauticsand SSDW An Astronaut’s Experience · Astronauticsand SSDW Research (70%) •Life sciences: human physiology, exo/biologie, biotechnology •Physical sciences: physics,

Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme

Universitaet Stuttgart 1Me22.06.2006

Astronautics and SSDW

Prof. Dr. Ernst MesserschmidUniversität Stuttgart

Head ESA European Astronaut Centre 2000-2005

ESA next astronaut selection - Lisboa – 15 May 2008

An Astronaut’s Experience -& International Space Station and beyond




Content

� A short history of spaceflight & my spaceflight 1985 with Shuttle “Challenger” and D1-Spacelab

� the International Space Station

� and beyond: Mond, NEOs, Mars …..

� Checklist for astronaut candidates

25. Mai 1961

→ Spaceflight to LEO -

•Work places for Europeans, too, since 1983…•Scientific objectives•Development of technologies forpermanent human infrastrutures

back to low Earth orbit Erd-Orbit, with clear objectives...



Astronautics and SSDW1st German Spacelab Mission 1985

� 3rd flight of a German Astronaut – 30 Oct. to 6 Nov. 1985

� With Space Shuttle „Challenger“, Spacelab D-1 in the cargo bay

� German Astronauts: Ernst Messerschmid and Reinhard Furrer



Astronautics and SSDWHelix-Nebel

Remainder of dying star

(White Dwarfwith planetary

Nebula)

Ionosphäre(space weather)

Our weather –

observed from above




28000 km/hor 8000 m/s

Gravity Force

Centrifugal Force

to Centre of Earth

Velocity




long Molybdenum fibers, embedded in Nickel-Aluminum matrix

Produced in Space (enlarged)

Produced on Earth




Proteins (Beta Galactosedase) produced in space: mono-crystalline enzymes grew more than 1000 times larger

Measurement of inner eye pressure has confirmed hypothesis of fast adaptation,

much faster than expected




Content

� A short history of spaceflight & my myspaceflight 1985 with Shuttle “Challenger” and D1-Spacelab



� Checklist for astronaut candidates




Cooperation of unequal partners:Cooperationof unequal partners

USA 2/3

Russia+ Europe + Japan=1/3

Canada <2%

June 1999 December 2000 August 2001

April 2002

Dec. 02 bis Sept. 06

Today

Working and living in space

Bill McArthur und Valery Tokarev

STS-103 December 1999

Repair and servicing: example Hubble Space Telescope

STS-109 March 02



Astronautics and SSDWResearch (70%)

•Life sciences: human physiology, exo/biologie,

biotechnology

•Physical sciences: physics, materials research,

fluiddynamics, combustion

•Space sciences: astronomy, planets, observation

•Geo sciences and Earth observation

Improvement of health, technologies and

processes, energy supply and environment, use of space

Exploration

•Test environment for new technologies, animals and

humans

•Assembly of structures and science facilities

• in-situ –operation of science and habitation facilities

Business (up to 30%)

•R& D for industrial utilisation

•Sponsoring, advertisement, merchandising

•Commercial services (Tourism?)

•Entertainment, Edutainment

Education (1%)

•Virtual class room

•Experiments

ISS Utilization




Content

� A short history of spaceflight & my myspaceflight 1985 with Shuttle “Challenger” and D1-Spacelab






further away from Earth – back to the Moon and

… exploration of the solar system close to Earth




next steps

(NASA)

< 2020

back to the

Moon




Checklist for astronaut candidates

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

3

3EAC Presentation – English (updated:

EO – 01.07.2007)

ESA astronaut - An absolute

DREAM job, but you have to like to

live in uncertainty

ESA Astronaut Claude Nicollier – waited 14 years for his first flight,

then he had another 3 flights

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

3


EO – 01.07.2007)

Remember:

• As an astronaut, with the exception of a few (like

Thomas Reiter), you spend very little time in space.

For Claude Nicollier, it was 1/280 days of his time

as an astronaut. You must be convinced that you

will like the in-between activities before you sign-

up…

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

3


EO – 01.07.2007)

but…

I still recommend that you sign up, because

…what we do there is very meaningful

(exploration and discovery, science, working

together), and:

… time spent in space is the most amazing thing

that you can imagine

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

3


EO – 01.07.2007)

Checklist to become astronaut

• Have motivation and faith

• Study the right discipline(s), keep learning

• Stay healthy, run, play tennis, go to the gym

• Learn to fly, scuba diving, climb mountains

• Brush up your English, learn Russian, Chinese also

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

3


EO – 01.07.2007)

• Get comfortable with an international environment

• Speak in public - You’ll have to do this all the time

• Do not listen to the ones who say it must be too hard

• Play the piano, or the guitar, read books

• Stay cool, and be happy!

Checklist to become astronaut

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

3


EO – 01.07.2007)

See what you might miss if you do

not sign up...

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

3


EO – 01.07.2007)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

...sand dunes in the Victoria crater (Mars!)

European

Astronaut Centre

European

Astronaut Centre

4


EO – 01.07.2007)

Documents

Astronauticsand SSDW An Astronaut’s Experience · Astronauticsand SSDW Research (70%) •Life sciences: human physiology, exo/biologie, biotechnology •Physical sciences: physics,