A day in the life of an ESA astronaut
European astronauts currently fly to the International Space Station, where they spend up to six months as part of an international crew performing experiments in microgravity and operating the Station's systems. They assemble, activate and test new Station elements, undertake scientific research and even act as test subjects in life science experiments.
The role of an astronaut is constantly evolving. In the future, astronauts must be prepared to venture further from Earth as ESA participates in human and robotic missions to the Moon, works with international partners to establish a sustainable lunar presence, and looks ahead to Mars.
Though there is no typical day in space, this infographic provides an idea of the activities an astronaut might carry out in 24 hours on the International Space Station. Crew time is the most valuable resource available in space, so every day is heavily scheduled by planners on the ground and supported by a team of flight controllers around the world.
Most of an astronaut’s time is actually spent on the ground, and this is just as important as the time they spend in space. Astronauts not assigned to a mission provide technical support to human and robotic space exploration projects, maintain their skills through refresher training or on-Earth missions and undertake public relations activities to communicate the importance of space and exploration.
They are also very active on social media, make public appearances and act as ambassadors for ESA, as their missions and tasks are of great interest to the general public.
Once an astronaut has been assigned to a mission, they begin mission-specific or increment training. During this time, training is focused on the specific tasks and experiments they will need to perform in space.
Increment training is intensive, even for those who have flown before, and takes place at all partner sites around the world. During this time, preparing for the mission is the most important aspect of an astronaut’s working life, leaving less time for public appearances and media activities.
