Arrived on European soil where his post-mission follow-up will be ensured in Cologne, at the European Astronaut Center (EAC), Thomas Pesquet confided in his future projects but especially his desire for vacation after the six months spent aboard the ISS. After having landed with his three mission comrades this Tuesday, November 9, the French astronaut will be subjected to three weeks of scientific tests by ESA, in order to observe the effect of a long stay in orbit on the human body. He will also be joined by his relatives.
“For the moment I am thinking above all about taking a little rest, a little vacation”, specified the one who made the eyes of the whole world sparkle with his many photos of views from space during his stay in orbit. He clarified that “The part in space […] lasts six months and is very intense ” but it requires “Two years of training which are at least as intense”.
Read also: Thomas Pesquet. Farewell, descent to 27,000 km / h and landing: this is how his return went
And the days which follow the return on the mainland are no less trying, he declared in front of the microphones of the journalists, of which that of Franceinfo which broadcast the arrival of the astronaut on German soil. From now on, Thomas Pesquet will have to submit to “Six months of getting back into shape, taking scientific samples, participating in briefings, etc. “.
??? “For now, I think mainly about taking rest. It’s three, four years of work, and I have chained it twice almost in a row! I want to take some time for myself and for my loved ones “, comments Thomas Pesquet
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– franceinfo (@franceinfo) November 9, 2021
Towards a new mission?
In total, a mission represents 3 to 4 years of work that the French has done twice for his last two missions. “I’m going to have to take a little time for myself and for my loved ones”, he insisted.
But Thomas Pesquet seems a long way from having taken his mind out of the stars: “It’s true that you have to find yourself a challenge. I know a lot of astronauts, I’m one of them when they go into space, they say it’s the last time and then after six months they still want to leave. “
Read also: Return of Thomas Pesquet: what is the “earth sickness” of astronauts returning from the ISS?
However, the 43-year-old scientist clarified that man was a terrestrial animal and that resuming his habits on earth was ” very quickly “.
A “pride in having represented France”
Thomas Pesquet also returned to the landing, a first for him. He confirmed that everything had gone well and that he was able to enjoy this “spectacular” experience. According to him, landing on the water is “softer” than landing.
??? “It’s going very well, I had a few hours to recover from the water landing, which went well”, reacts Thomas Pesquet, who has just arrived in Cologne (Germany), where he will undergo a series of tests. medical
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– franceinfo (@franceinfo) November 9, 2021
A few hours before his departure from the ISS, he had tweeted one last time during his mission, communicating his “Pride in having represented France once again in space”, evoking his ambition to set sail for the moon.
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