Take a break with ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst, Samantha Cristoforetti, Luca Parmitano and Thomas Pesquet as they discuss living and working in space. In this video, our astronauts cover the ins and outs of accommodating a nine-person crew on the International Space Station.

The International Space Station (ISS) is designed for six people, but regularly receives additional visitors for brief periods of time. Luca experienced this both during his Volare mission in 2013 for the handover of the Olympic Torch, and during his Beyond mission in September/October 2019 when the first astronaut from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hazza Al Mansoori spent eight days on board.

This clip is part of a series filmed in February 2020, following Luca’s return from the ISS mission on 6 February. It was filmed in the crew quarters of the German Aerospace Center DLR’s :envihab facility next to ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. 

For more about Luca’s Beyond mission and other ESA astronaut-related content, visit the Exploration blog: https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/