ESA expedition to the Gorner Glacier in Switzerland

In August 2021 ESA astronaut, Luca Parmitano, and the head of the ESA Climate Office, Susanne Mecklenburg, joined a science expedition taking place at one of the biggest ice masses in the Alps: the Gorner Glacier.

The pair accompany a scientific team that is documenting how the glacier is changing in response to global warming. Situated near the Monte Rosa massif close to Zermatt, Switzerland, the Gorner Glacier is one of the most extensively studied glaciers in the world. Its front has been retreating drastically since the end of the 19th century, and in the last few years, its retreat has been accelerating.

The ESA-led expedition was filmed as part of an upcoming documentary that will be released for the first time at COP26, with a first preview of the documentary available to the Italian public. 

Read full story: Space for climate: raising awareness ahead of COP26