ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, an experienced spaceflyer, spacewalker, and former ISS commander, shares insights into his role as head of astronaut operations at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre. Tune in as he talks with us about guiding the next generation of astronauts through training and preparing them for their future in space exploration.

This is Episode 8 of our ESA Explores podcast series, delving into everything you want to know about the ESA astronaut class of 2022. Recorded in April 2024.

Find out more about Alexander: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Alexander_Gerst

About the ESA astronaut class of 2022: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts2022/esa-astronaut-candidates/

About astronaut operations at EAC: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/EAC/Operations

Glossary: AsCan - Astronaut Candidate, EAC - European Astronaut Centre, EUROCOM - European Communicator and Medical Operations, EVA - Extravehicular Activity

Host and audio editing by Laura Zurmühlen, featuring music by Denzel Lorge and cover art by Gaël Nadaud.