back commander Four days before Christmas eve, the ISS returns Gerst from space. Not everything went around for the second trip of the “Astro Alex”. But the view goes to the next ambitious Mission.

Baikonur – At the end of its Mission it will be for the German astronaut Alexander Gerst tomorrow, Thursday, a rough return from the gravity of the home planet earth. After undocking from the International space station ISS is the close Soyuz locking capsule initially unrestrained in the atmosphere, the air friction creates temperatures of approximately 2500 degrees Celsius. Only a few weeks ago the launch of a Russian Soyuz went wrong with your rocket, and also the return of the space capsule is considered to be demanding.

Massive forces Gerst presses into the seat. “I can hardly breathe because my tongue is so strongly pressed against the palate”, he described in 2014, his return flight from his first ISS Mission. Like a Pebble on the surface of a pond, the Soyuz slithers through the furnace atmosphere, and after dragging a tail of heat and light, until the Parachutes stop the fall. About six hours after Undocking in about 400 km altitude, to Gerst and two other returnees end up in minus 20 degrees Celsius cold of Kazakhstan.

Alexander Gersts Soyuz tail from heat and light

“If you fly towards the earth, and after landing, the smell of the snowy Steppe – it is a piece of home,” said Gerst. Already in the evening, he is expected to be in Cologne, Germany. Until then, his E-Mail box sends an automatic reply: “I’m on a business trip in the earth’s orbit. Please try it in a friendly way, in January of 2019.“

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For Gerst is happy Gerst, on earth, landing in the treeless Expanse of Central Asia the end of a nearly 200-day journey. On earth, the 42-Year-old Doctors will investigate how the more than 3000 times around the world on his body. The findings should also provide information, such as driver’s need to focus on a possible Mars flight prepare.

+ Live-Unlock with the Chancellor during the awards ceremony at “Jugend forscht”.©AFP/John MacDougall

No German was no longer in space Alexander Gerst

man Counts his two previous missions, was not a German for so long in All like Gerst: for almost a year. How is it going to go further with the record-space driver? “He is a member of the Esa astronaut Corps – in this respect, the possibility of another flight is a given,” says Europe’s space chief Jan Wörner. Also to the head of mission Volker Schmid from the German center for air and space travel (DLR) says: “I’m going to assume that he’s flying again.” It is the third trip would be Gersts into the All – so much cosmic experience only Ulf Merbold between 1983 and 1994, collected in Germany.

But, once again, to the ISS, the led Gerst’s last as a commander? In expert circles, it is also thinking of another ambitious Mission for the man from Künzelsau in Baden-Württemberg: The USA want to go around 2023 for the first time in decades the moon with a manned Orion spacecraft, which is currently being built in co-operation with Europe. What could be better than a Europeans to take? “This is well-conceivable, but such a Mission also has political aspects”, he stated diplomatically in the German aerospace circles.

evaluation of the ISS Mission of Alexander Gerst

“First of all, the result of evaluation of end-of-employ Mission to be a good year,” says mission leader Schmid. Some questions remain on the Outpost of humanity. Still, it is unclear how a tiny hole was in the wall of a docked Russian space capsule.

+ Celebrated Hero: a shield in the vicinity of the DLR Marsbahis in Oberpfaffenhofen.©Andrea Jaksch

And after the failed launch of a Soyuz rocket Gerst and his fellow returnees Serena Auñón-Chancellor (USA) and Sergey Prokopyev (Russia) with a long gain had to wait. Several planned experiments were. Nevertheless, Schmid draws a positive balance: “The scientists are very satisfied.”

What remained on the route: Two planned foreign operations of Gerst were. In addition, technical problems with the robot “Cimon could not be solved” as well as the animal observation project “Icarus”. “If a glitch happens, you have to make compromises,” says Schmid. “But we have retracted good results. The other we can catch up.“

Gerst receives honorary Senator in Hamburg,

Gerst is expected soon in Hamburg, where he receives the title of honorary Senator of the University. He received his PhD in 2010 at the center for earth system research and sustainability. And he will travel soon to Russia. The geophysicist is expected to the so-called Debriefing of the Mission in Moscow, in addition, the German Embassy is planning a reception for the man with the shorn head.

Astronaut from the Saarland want to eat

operates in Parallel with Europe’s space Agency Esa on a mission for Germany’s next astronauts Matthias Maurer. The Saar countries could fly 2020/21 to the ISS – or maybe on a Chinese space mission to participate. Masons of the twelfth German at All.

“space travel is today self-evident infrastructure for many areas. To draw the conclusion that space travel is easy and Routine, is wrong,“ says Esa chief Wörner. To the comet “missions, planets or the ISS fascinate people of all age groups. From this, Inspiration and Motivation – we need for the future in our society urgently.“

A special broadcast for the landing to be running on Thursday, 20.15 clock, ARD-alpha. Title: “Alexander’s back, Gerst – welcome!” Moderator Karsten Schwanke commented on the previous astronauts Klaus-Dietrich Flade the landing and takes stock of the situation.

Wolfgang Jung

*merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

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