Space travel
Matthias Maurer: Christmas in space will be a special moment
Matthias Mauerer, ESA astronaut, on board the ISS. Photo: Mark T. Vande Hei / NASA / ESA / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Astronaut Matthias Maurer is looking forward to Christmas in space. He hopes that he will get a little present from loved ones at home. He will also miss a few earthly things.
It will be an unforgettable Christmas for Matthias Maurer. Because the astronaut from Saarland celebrates in space at an altitude of around 400 kilometers on board the International Space Station ISS.
“Of course it is a special moment to experience Christmas in space,” says Maurer of the German press agency. This is an “incredible opportunity” and unique. «I will see virtually all places in the world from above. And then to be able to celebrate Christmas together with all these people on earth – is a nice thought. “
Even if the celebrations for him on December 24th will probably be rather short. “We will work on Christmas Eve and unfortunately have to make up for Christmas a little late,” says the 51-year-old. The reason: Two days before a SpaceX supply capsule is expected, which also has some European experiments. This also includes biological samples that need to be processed quickly.
Christmas again in January
That means that on Christmas Eve after working hours there will be a rather short celebration, maybe also on the morning of December 25th. The crew will probably have a day off on Monday, he says. And: “I’m assuming that my Russian colleagues will celebrate Christmas again at the beginning of January, and if so, we will of course be happy to celebrate too.”
The capsule also brings “a few little surprises from our loved ones back home” into space, explains Maurer from Oberthal in Saarland. “I hope that there is also a little present for me.” And the Christmas dinner is also on the way. But it will “certainly not be as good as the Saarland specialties” that he and his crew colleagues ate at Nikolaus. “All the dishes from my home country were a complete success.”
For the big festival, Maurer will unpack the small plastic Christmas tree that is on the station all year round. And talk to his family and friends at home on the phone. «Of course, I will especially miss spending time with family and friends. When we sit at a table, eat a lot of delicious things and tell each other stories from last year. ” Also to go for a walk in the forest to enjoy the cold winter time and to have some time for yourself. “The contemplative moments, above all, will be missed by me.”
Outdoor use is also planned
The astronaut from the European Space Agency Esa took off for the ISS on November 11th with three colleagues from the US space agency Nasa. The Saarlander is the twelfth German in space and the fourth on the ISS. There he is supposed to carry out numerous experiments for about six months and probably also complete an outdoor assignment.
He has never been homesick, says Maurer. “There are so many things to discover and do here on the ISS that you don’t have time to think about them.” What has been his biggest impression so far? “That was of course the view of the earth and the incredible adaptability of the human brain.” After only one day in weightlessness, his brain was able to say: “This is my new environment, this is my new home”.
The change of perspective is good. “On earth it always seems as if it is infinitely large, but with this view from space you really can see that we live on a small, isolated planet,” he says. “There is so much around us that we do not yet understand and have not yet explored. I think we haven’t really grasped the potential that can be discovered in space, what can be learned there. “
Time flies by. “We have a lot to do, and that’s a good thing,” he says. There is a lot of experiments and maintenance work going on at the station throughout the day. “And in the evening you are tired and immediately fall into bed or float in your sleeping bag.”