- Title: German to take command of International Space Station in 2018
- Date: 18th May 2016
- Summary: COLOGNE, GERMANY (MAY 18, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF MERKEL AND GERST ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE MERKEL AND GERST TAKING MICROPHONES AUDIENCE VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS MERKEL AND GERST TALKING ASTRONAUT DUMMY INSIDE MODEL SPACE CAPSULE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "I am pleased to be here today with the DLR (German Space Agency) and part of the ESA (European Space Agency) and to meet other colleagues of Mr. Gerst that do this global work together. Despite political conflicts that we have to overcome, space travel can connect not only Europe but also many countries of the world. People are fascinated and maybe we will be a little more cautious in handling the Earth when we think of what a special structure it is in the vastness of outer space." MAN LOOKING AT MODEL SPACE CAPSULE (SOUNDBITE) (German) ASTRONAUT, ALEXANDER GERST, SAYING: "Yes, it will be exciting in any case. It is of course true that some things are already clear to me. That means things that you come to with mixed feelings on the first flight, because you don't know how it will be. For example on the first day with zero gravity, how can you sleep, hover and go to the toilet? These are all things you worry about and can't be trained for. I don't need to worry about that anymore, I know how it is already. So I am able to have a free mind, to think about and look at other things, for example, to absorb nuances at the beginning and of course to be a little more efficient. That is my job as commander, also to take care of the team, who I don't know yet, who are not yet nominated." MEDIA MERKEL LEAVING
- Embargoed: 2nd June 2016 16:11
- Keywords: Merkel ESA astronaut ISS Alexander Gerst
- Location: COLOGNE, GERMANY
- City: COLOGNE, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Science,Space Exploration
- Reuters ID: LVA0034IC33GN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Astronaut Alexander Gerst will become the first German and only the second European to take command of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018, the European Space Agency said on Wednesday (May 18).
The announcement was made at a news conference attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who congratulated Gerst on his achievement.
Gerst, 40, who was born in Kuenzelsau, south-east of Frankfurt, and previously worked on the Station in 2014, will take the command during the second part of his six-month mission in 2018.
Eleven European countries participate in the Station through the European Space Agency, together with the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada.
In the 15 years the space station has been occupied, Belgian Frank De Winne was the only European to command it before Gerst, in 2009. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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