On 21 March, 11 European astronauts gathered for the ""Nits de los astronauts"" in Barcelona/Spain, sharing with 3000 citizens and officials the fascination and benefits of spaceflight.
Film clips and testimonials covered all phases of space missions, and why Europe is undertakling a space programme.
Part of the event was also the unveiling of an inventive Spanish space menu, specially developed by Catalan chefs for eating in orbit.
This TV Exchanges includes the best images from the event, plus soundbites by officials and some visitors.
'The Night of the Astronauts'
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Barcelona, a historic city of unrivalled dynamism and international reputation .. a place where tradition meets modernity and technological vanguard. It's hard to imagine a better setting for 'The Night of the Astronauts'!
10.01.10
In a new, futuristic Auditorium designed by the Swiss architects Herzog and Demeuron, 11 astronauts from the European Space Agency gu

'The Night of the Astronauts'
10.00.00 : GENERIC
10.00.30 : TITLE
10.00.40 : First image
10.00.54
Barcelona, a historic city of unrivalled dynamism and international reputation .. a place where tradition meets modernity and technological vanguard. It's hard to imagine a better setting for 'The Night of the Astronauts'!
10.01.10
In a new, futuristic Auditorium designed by the Swiss architects Herzog and Demeuron, 11 astronauts from the European Space Agency guided the public through an epic journey into space. After a laser show that impressed everyone,, Spanish ESA astronaut, Pedro Duque and a popular Catalan Television presenter, invited an almost complete corps of European astronauts to share their experiences and space anecdotes with the public..
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For two hours, more than 3,000 people, from students to academics and industry representatives stared with a mix of curiosity and amazement at the images projected onto a giant three-dimensional screen. For them, it was a unique opport