The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Spacewalk dance! Happy to have finished the spacewalk season for the moment with success. Deserves a little dance :) We were not really dancing but purging our bodies of nitrogen. We operate the spacesuits at less pressure than the Station itself so we don't have to fight the the difference in pressure. We breath pure oxygen and slowly all the nitrogen in our bodies is replaced by oxygen which is safer when going from high pressure (Space Station) to low pressure (spacesuit). Mild exercise makes us breathe more oxygen and gets rid of the nitrogen quicker! Also it is fun to dance :)
Let's dance ! En fait nous étions en train de… purger l’azote présent dans notre sang. On utilise les scaphandres à une pression atmosphérique plus basse que celle de la Station, pour ne pas avoir à affronter la différence de pression avec le vide de l’espace. Pour l’étape de mise en décompression, on respire de l’oxygène pur, qui peu à peu remplace tout l’azote (les plongeurs connaissent bien ce passage obligé). Et comme un peu d’exercice accélère la consommation d’oxygène et donc la désaturation en azote, on bouge pour accélérer le processus… et comme le moonwalk n'est pas praticable dans le sas... on s'adapte comme on peut, pour le plus grand plaisir d’Aki derrière la caméra ! :)
Credits: JAXA/NASA–A. Hoshide/M. Cowan