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About the MagISStra mission
ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) for a long-duration mission on 15 December, serving as flight engineer for Expeditions 26 and 27. This is the third six-month mission by a European astronaut on the Station.
From December 2010 to May 2011, Paolo Nespoli, ESA's Italian astronaut, is carrying out an intensive programme of experiments, ranging from radiation monitoring to measurements that could improve oil recovery in petroleum reservoirs.
His duties aboard the ISS include participating in the docking operations to receive two cargo spacecraft: Europe’s second Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Johannes Kepler, and the second Japanese HII Transfer Vehicle (HTV). Both are unmanned spacecraft used to resupply the ISS. Nespoli was the prime operator for berthing the HTV to the Station after the free-flying vehicle has been captured by his crewmate Catherine Coleman.
In May, Nespoli will have a new Italian crewmate for five days. ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori, assigned to Space Shuttle mission STS-134, will be flying to the Station on a flight opportunity provided by the Italian space agency, ASI. The Space Shuttle will also deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) to the ISS.
With more than 30 experiments during this mission, European space science is, as usual, driven by the quest to improve life on our planet. The mission scientific programme covers human research, fluid physics, radiation, biology and technology demonstrations. Paolo Nespoli carries out not only experiments for ESA, but also for the US, Japanese and Canadian space agencies.
As part of his educational programme, children have the chance to follow an international initiative built around health, well-being and nutrition (Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut), as well as a special greenhouse activity in space. From his privileged viewpoint in space, Nespoli use ESA’s novel 3D camera to show unprecedented images of the ISS.
Last update: 20 May 2011
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