Alexander Gerst
Born: 3 May 1976
Nationality: German
Hobbies: paragliding, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, and scuba diving
Alexander studied geophysics at the University of Karlsruhe in Germany and geosciences in New Zealand. He then finished his studies with a doctorate in volcano science at the University of Hamburg.
Gerst was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009 and from 2023 he has worked as the astronaut operations team lead at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC).
In 2014 he spent six months on the International Space Station for ESA's Blue Dot mission. In 2018 he returned to space for his second mission called Horizons where he held the role of International Space Station Commander for Expedition 57. He has spent over 363 days in space across 2 ESA missions!
Last modified 22 January 2025
