Alexander Gerst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Gerst
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| Born | 3 May 1976 Künzelsau, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
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| Status | Active |
| Occupation | Geophysicist |
| Awards | Bernd Rendel Prize |
| Space career | |
| ESA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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362 days, 1 hour, 50 minutes |
| Selection | 2009 ESA Group |
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Total EVAs
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1 |
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Total EVA time
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6 hours, 13 minutes |
| Missions |
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Mission insignia
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Alexander Gerst, born on May 3, 1976, in Künzelsau, Germany, is a German astronaut from the European Space Agency (ESA). He is also a geophysicist, someone who studies Earth's physical processes.
Alexander Gerst was chosen for astronaut training in 2009. He has flown to the International Space Station (ISS) twice. His first trip was from May to November 2014, as part of Expedition 40 and 41. He went back to space on June 6, 2018, for Expedition 56 and 57. During this second mission, he became the Commander of the International Space Station.
He returned to Earth on December 20, 2018. For a while, he held the record for the most time spent in space by an active ESA astronaut, with 362 days. This record was later broken by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano in 2020.
Contents
Becoming an Astronaut: Education and Research
Alexander Gerst finished high school in Öhringen, Germany, in 1995. While he was in high school, he volunteered as a scout leader, a firefighter, and a lifeguard for water rescues.
He then studied at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. There, he earned a degree in geophysics with high honors.
From 1998 to 2003, Gerst worked on many international science projects. Some of these projects took him to very remote places, like Antarctica.
Between 2001 and 2003, Alexander Gerst earned a master's degree in Earth sciences. He studied at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. For his master's project, he created new ways to watch volcanoes. These methods could help predict when volcanoes might erupt. His findings were published in a well-known science magazine called Science Magazine.
From 2004 to 2009, Gerst was a researcher at the Institute of Geophysics. This institute is part of the University of Hamburg. In 2010, he received his doctorate degree from the University of Hamburg. His research focused on how volcanoes erupt, specifically at Mount Erebus in Antarctica.
In 2007, Gerst received the Bernd Rendel award. This award is given for excellent research by the German Research Foundation. He has also published several scientific papers, including one in the famous journal Nature.
Working with the European Space Agency
Alexander Gerst was chosen to be an astronaut by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2009. ESA is an organization that explores space for many European countries.
In September 2019, he took part in the ESA CAVES mission. This mission trains astronauts to explore caves, which helps them prepare for exploring other planets. He was with other astronauts like Jeanette Epps, Takuya Onishi, and Joshua Kutryk.
In 2022, he joined the ESA PANGAEA training course. This course teaches astronauts about geology and how to identify rocks. He trained in different places, including Italy, Germany, and Spain. He also trained with NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.
First Space Mission: Blue Dot (Expedition 40/41)
Alexander Gerst's first trip to space was from May to November 2014. He was part of the Expedition 40 and 41 crews on the International Space Station.
On October 7, 2014, Gerst did his first extravehicular activity (EVA). An EVA is also known as a spacewalk. He performed this spacewalk with astronaut Reid Wiseman. During their spacewalk, they moved a broken cooling pump to a storage spot on the station. They also installed a new system to provide backup power. This power system helps the mobile transporter, which moves the station's large robotic arm. The spacewalk lasted for 6 hours and 13 minutes.
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On November 10, 2014, he returned to Earth. He landed in Kazakhstan in the same Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft that took him to the ISS. Russian commander Maxim Suraev and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman were with him.
Gerst's six-month mission to the ISS was called "Blue Dot". This name reminds us of Carl Sagan's famous description of Earth. He called Earth a "Pale Blue Dot" after seeing it in a photo taken by NASA's Voyager mission.
During the "Blue Dot" mission, astronauts did many experiments. These included studies in physical science, biology, and how space affects the human body. They also tested new technologies. For educational outreach, Gerst made videos as part of a "flying classroom." He also did experiments in microgravity for students to see.
Second Space Mission: Horizons (Expedition 56/57)
Alexander Gerst began his second mission to the ISS on June 6, 2018. He launched aboard the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft. This mission was part of Expedition 56 and 57. During Expedition 57, he became the Commander of the ISS. He was the second ESA astronaut to command the station. At 42 years old in October 2018, he was also the youngest astronaut to command the station.
On this mission, he brought a robot assistant named "CIMON." His mission was named "Horizons."
On July 20, 2018, while on the ISS, Gerst took part in a live concert. He joined the German electronic music group Kraftwerk from space. He spoke to the audience in Stuttgart, Germany, and even played a synthesizer during their song "Spacelab."
On December 20, 2018, Alexander Gerst returned to Earth. He landed in Kazakhstan with his crewmates Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev. He spent 197 days in space on this mission. When combined with his first mission, he had spent a total of 362 days in space. This made him the ESA astronaut with the most time in space at that point. However, Luca Parmitano later broke this record in 2020.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Alexander Gerst enjoys many activities in his free time. He likes mountaineering, diving, climbing, and skydiving.
He is also a licensed radio amateur (his call sign is KF5ONO). He has taken part in several ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) contacts. These contacts allow students on Earth to talk directly with astronauts on the ISS using amateur radio.
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Gerst para niños
