In weightlessness, foams and granular materials stick together for longer. ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst shares how researchers are studying the properties of these materials in space to help innovation on Earth.

ESA’s Soft Matter Dynamics experiment was transported to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule in June 2018 and installed in the Columbus laboratory on 19 July. It is one of over 50 experiments Alexander has direct involvement with, with many more taking place on board the International Space Station throughout his Horizons mission.

Alexander took over as commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 57 on 3 October 2018. Follow Alexander and the Horizons mission on social media via http://alexandergerst.esa.int/ and on http://blogs.esa.int/alexander-gerst/.

ESA is Europe's gateway to space. Our 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. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.