Celebrating Andreas
After eagerly awaiting his return, Denmark could finally welcome Andreas during his Huginn post-flight tour to meet with fans, ministers, the teams behind the science he conducted and anybody who wanted to say hi. Here is a recap of his homecoming in Denmark.
A choir to set the stage
The big homecoming celebration started on 29 April at the famous interactive science museum, Experimentarium in Copenhagen, Denmark. Both the public and special guests filled the large hall of the science museum, including a 50-person choir. Andreas walked on stage to the sound of music and clapping hands, giving a speech to thank all those who took part and followed his mission.
After the big opening, invited guests, including the minister of Higher Education of Denmark, Christina Egelund, and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, went into the theatre of Experimentarium for a series of talks. Scientists in charge of the experiments of the Huginn mission, ESA Director General and Andreas himself gave presentations.
The next day, the schedule was filled with interviews with Danish media, during which Andreas talked about his mission, coming back to Denmark and plans for the future, expressing his hope for a seat on future Artemis missions to the Moon.
Industry and special pancakes
On 2 May, Andreas went to an event with Danish industry, speaking with space companies in Denmark, some of which provided the experiments that Andreas conducted on his six-month mission to the International Space Station.
The following day he attended an event at Copenhagen City Hall with the mayor, where special “rådhuspandekager”, or City Hall pancakes, were served; they are thin crepês with orange cream and apricot marmalade, finished off with almond flakes.
The day ended with the yearly celebration of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) where thousands of students, representatives from several faculties, and collaborators gathered to celebrate their academic work and the people who made it happen.
A portrait of Andreas
After the big pancake celebration, Andreas made his way to the Museum of National History, located in the Frederiksborg Castle near Copenhagen. Here the portrait of Andreas, the first Danish astronaut, was revealed by artist Maria Wandel. Painted on glass, it shows Andreas floating in the Cupola module on the Space Station, holding an infinity box which symbolises the infinite reach of space. The portrait will hang on the same walls as other Danish scientists, from astronomer Tycho Brahe to physicists Niels Bohr and H.C. Ørsted.
The week ended with an event at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, where Andreas joined astrophysicist Anja C. Andersen and museum director Rane Willerslev. They talked about how cultural heritage plays a role when a Dane goes to space. One of the many items Andreas brought with him on his Huginn mission was a gold bracteat, which is a small gold disk; it features the Norse god Odin with one of his two ravens, Huginn or Muninn, on his shoulder and was made around the year 400 to 500 AD.
Reunion
The second week of his post-flight tour started out with a state visit from the Royal House of Denmark to Sweden, where Andreas met up with fellow ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt and former ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang. At a panel at the Technical Institute in Stockholm, the three astronauts spoke about how space exploration and research can help humankind to build a better and more sustainable future.
Nearing the end of the homecoming tour, Andreas returned to Copenhagen City Hall, this time for the Association of Craftsmen in Denmark, who held their yearly award celebration. Here, Andreas was awarded as the honorary craftsman of the year.
“What Andreas has achieved, only few people in the world have done. It requires skill, endurance and hard work – and a lot of ambition to try reach for the top. We want to honour his work and dedication for showing that anything is possible,” says Per Vangekjær, chairman of the Association of Craftsmen in Denmark.
Finally, Andreas came back to the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany, where he was greeted by fellow astronaut classmate Alexander Gerst and Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander. The hall was filled with colleagues waving Danish flags, a Danish celebratory tradition when friends and family come home. The returning astronaut will start in a new position at EAC after the summer.
Andreas has more events throughout the rest of the year to meet with the public and talk more about his exciting second flight to the International Space Station.