Return from the ISS: Astronaut Maurer back in Germany

After half a year in space, Matthias Maurer is back in Germany. After landing off the Florida coast, the astronaut flew directly to Cologne. Now Maurer wants to relax a bit.

After his return to earth, astronaut Matthias Maurer has arrived in Germany. At 12:40 a.m. he landed in a Luftwaffe aircraft at the military part of Cologne/Bonn Airport. He was still a bit shaky on his feet, but otherwise felt very well, said Maurer. “I am very happy.”

Maurer had spent around six months on board the International Space Station ISS. Yesterday he returned to earth with three Americans in a space capsule and landed off the coast of Florida. Then Maurer flew on to Cologne.

friends and family upon arrival

His relatives and friends, who welcomed him on his arrival, were also happy about Maurer’s return. “First of all, we’re happy that he’s back safe and sound,” said two of his college friends. “We are very excited to see what he will tell.” The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, also came to greet the returnee.

He was very satisfied with the way his mission went, but at the same time he felt great humility, said Maurer after his arrival in Germany. He enjoyed the view from above: “You can really see that the earth is a sphere.” He sometimes missed “conveniences like eating from a plate where not everything flies away”.

“The Russian colleagues are my space brothers”

Maurer got along wonderfully with the Russian cosmonauts. “The Russian colleagues are my space brothers, just like my NASA colleagues.” During Maurer’s stay on the ISS, the Russian attack on Ukraine had begun. Because of the war, there are significant tensions between Moscow and the western space nations. “I come from an island where everything was fine,” says Maurer.

For 22 years, the ISS has been a symbol of international cooperation, friendship and peaceful human cooperation. “To see the world slip away from up there is very depressing and very terrifying.”

Twelfth German in space

Maurer traveled to the ISS on November 11, 2021. There he was involved in numerous experiments and completed a field assignment. The astronaut from the European space agency Esa was the twelfth German in space.

In Cologne, Maurer will be looked after around the clock by a specialized team at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) over the next two weeks. According to a spokeswoman, he will undergo a series of medical tests at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, which will focus on the topics of balance, fitness and performance. When that’s over, he’ll finally “put his feet up, just relax a bit,” said Maurer.

He is looking forward to a little more freedom in his own daily routine, said Maurer. But he could well imagine flying into space again: “If there is a second opportunity, then I would like to do it again.”