Matthias with capsule

ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer joined Chinese colleagues off China’s coastal city of Yantai to take part in sea survival training, on 19 August 2017.

Returning from space in a Chinese capsule, astronauts need to be prepared for any eventuality – including landing in the sea. Water survival is a staple of all astronaut training but this is the first time non-Chinese astronauts have taken part.