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 talk about housekeeping and the perils of opening food on the International Space Station.

Just like on Earth, astronauts must do their bit to keep their home and workspace clean and tidy. Every Saturday is cleaning day on the International Space Station (ISS). This becomes even more significant with a larger crew. In this clip, Luca talks about the cleaning he and his crew carried out after a brief stint of nine on board and the troubleshooting that took place when an electrical system shutdown, as the astronauts compare notes about their time 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/