Have you ever wondered what it's like being an astronaut headed to the International Space Station (ISS)?
A new video released by the European Space Agency (ESA) shows us the life of one such astronaut, Andreas Mogensen, who leaves for the ISS on September 1. His mission will not only take new technologies to space for testing, but he'll also deliver a spacecraft for the crew heading back to Earth.
The animated video shows what an astronaut must do in preparation for a visit to the ISS. It covers how Mogensen studied to become an astronaut, in addition to detailing some of the training he endured before becoming involved in the "iriss" mission to the ISS. The video also provides information about Mogensen's 10-day space mission, even telling us how he'll return to Earth.
Iriss is a different sort of mission for ESA astronauts. For starters, it's short — most ISS astronauts spend more than 10 days in space. Mogensen will have to acclimate to the environment quickly.
His work will have him testing new astronaut-geared clothing that helps alleviate the back pain that many astronauts suffer from. He'll also study his own brain, muscles and bones to gain insight into how space travel affects the body.
But that's not all. Mogensen will also work with mission control in improving how things operate from space, as well as working with robots, studying thunderstorms on Earth and even launching a satellite that tracks ships at sea.
"I will be very busy the last 100 days before launch, preparing for the science and technology activities," said Mogensen in an ESA press statement. "With the densely packed schedule that I have for the mission, I need to hit the ground running as soon as I arrive at the Station."
