ESA Explores

Low Earth orbit is changing. With the International Space Station (ISS) approaching the later years of its life, new commercial destinations emerging and Europe investing in future transportation capabilities, a new chapter is beginning in orbit.

In this episode of ESA Explores, we speak with ESA astronaut and Head of the Human Exploration Department Andreas Mogensen about why low Earth orbit still matters, what comes after the ISS and how Europe is preparing for its future in space.

This is the first episode in a three-part series exploring Europe’s future in low Earth orbit, on the Moon and on Mars.

This interview was recorded in August 2026.

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Go behind the scenes at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, and discover how space experiments are prepared long before they reach orbit. Meet the ECOS team, as Deputy Manager Salvi Verma shares how they work with scientists, engineers and astronauts to turn ideas into real missions aboard the International Space Station. From early planning on the ground to supporting astronauts like ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot during her Epsilon mission, this is how space science becomes reality.

This interview was recorded in March 2026.

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Meet the voices astronauts hear in space. At ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, the Eurocom team is the link between crew and ground, guiding astronauts like ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot through their daily work on the International Space Station. Join us as Eurocom expert Andreas Orth explains how complex operations are translated into clear, real-time communication and what it means to be the one voice connecting Earth and orbit.

This interview was recorded in March 2026.

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Step inside the Columbus Control Centre near Munich, in Germany, and discover what it takes to keep ESA's Columbus science laboratory running—24 hours a day, 365 days a year, as Columbus Flight Director Tristan Hermel takes us through how teams on the ground in mission control coordinate operations, support astronauts and work with international partners across the globe.

See what life behind the consoles really looks like at a time when ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot is on board the Space Station for her Epsilon mission.

This interview was recorded in January 2026.

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Step inside astronaut training with ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez Fernández as he shares his training journey from Cologne in Germany to Houston in the US. Discover what it’s like to wear a 145 kg spacesuit underwater, train for emergencies like fires and ammonia leaks and prepare for the ultimate astronaut dream: a spacewalk. Plus, Pablo talks about life in Houston, teamwork under pressure and what’s next on his path to the stars. 

This interview was recorded in December 2024. 

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