Turning astronauts into planetary explorers

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst and NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson conduct microbiological sampling inside the Corona lava tube in Lanzarote, Spain, during the PANGAEA training campaign in 2022.

The PANGAEA course is designed to provide European astronauts with introductory and practical knowledge of Earth and planetary geology to prepare them to become effective partners of planetary scientists and engineers in designing the next exploration missions.

The course also aims to give astronauts a solid knowledge in the geology of the Solar System from leading European scientists.