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Watch the full replay of ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer\u2019s pre-launch news conference at ESA\u2019s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.<\/p>\n
Held in both English and German on 9 September 2021, the conference covers ESA\u2019s vision for human and robotic exploration as well as the science and operations Matthias will support on the International Space Station during his six-month Cosmic Kiss mission.<\/p>\n
Cosmic Kiss is Matthias\u2019s first space mission. He will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA as a member of US Commercial Crew-3 alongside @NASA<\/a> astronauts Thomas Marshburn, Raja Chari and Kayla Barron.<\/p>\n While in orbit, Matthias will support over 35 European experiments and many more international experiments. He will also be the first European to perform a Russian spacewalk since Thomas Reiter in the 1990s. Knowledge gained through the Cosmic Kiss mission will shape the future of space exploration and help enhance life on Earth.<\/p>\n Conference panellists are: ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration David Parker, ESA International Space Station Programme Manager and Head of EAC Frank De Winne, Director General of @DLR<\/a> and Member of the DLR Executive Board Walther Pelzer, and ESA Astronaut Matthias Maurer. This conference was moderated by ESA Communication Programme Officer for Human and Robotic Exploration Marco Trovatello.<\/p>\n