Cupola during Cygnus docking

The European-built Cupola observatory on the International Space Station with all its shutters open to allow a clear view of the Cygnus NG-16 cargo spacecraft approaching on 12 August 2021. 

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet commented on this photo:

"Cygnus docking. A complex choreography between human and machine. As Megan grappled Cygnus with Canadarm2, I acted as co-pilot – monitoring Cygnus's systems throughout its approach."

Over 200 experiments are planned during Thomas’ time in space, with 40 European ones and 12 new experiments led by the French space agency CNES.

Latest updates on the Alpha mission can be found via @esaspaceflight on Twitter, with more details on ESA’s exploration blog via thomaspesquet.esa.int.

Background information on the Alpha mission is available at www.esa.int/MissionAlpha with a brochure at www.esa.int/AlphaBrochure.