Welcome to a special bonus episode of our Time and Space series on the ESA Explores podcast! Join us in commemorating the 40th anniversary of Spacelab's maiden flight, a pivotal moment in European space history. We're thrilled to chat with Ulf Merbold, ESA's first astronaut in space, as we reflect on 40 years of space exploration. Explore his remarkable journey—from pioneering missions to his vision for the future of space exploration.

Audio editing by Denzel Lorge.

Additional content:

Find out more about Ulf here or listen to our episode: Time and space: ESA’s first astronaut | ESA Explores (podbean.com).

Read more about the 40-year anniversary of Spacelab-1 and discover Spacelab-1’s enduring legacy and its impact on future space exploration here: ESA – Spacelab to Gateway: 40 years of modules for people in space.