onboard the Official ruffin gold lion T-shirt Also,I will get this space station. We have limited atmosphere, limited water, limited food. And so the way we deal with everything on board the space station gives us techniques that we can apply on Earth because the situation is parallel. I think the people on Earth can learn a great deal about how space technology deals with water, how we recycle water, how we recycle air oxygen. : Does it take its toll on family life when you’re away in space for several months? Pesquet: It’s not easy for us being up there, and it’s not easy for the people we leave behind. The toughest thing is being deprived of your loved ones, and also being constantly worried that if something happens to them, you cannot help them. I think it’s the nightmare of all the astronauts, that something happens to their families on Earth while they’re away. Read: James Cameron’s plea to protect the ocean twilight zone I believe there’s an element of selfishness in me going to space because it’s a fantastic magical experience. But I also firmly believe that there’s a hugely positive impact on society in general because of what we do; because of the research, because of the international cooperation. So I think we have to do it even if there’s a price to pay. It’s not easy, but I think it’s a good thing to do. : As a climate advocate, do you think about the environmental cost of space travel? Drones are helping to clean up the world’s plastic pollution Pesquet: As an astronaut, you witness the fragility of planet Earth, while simultaneously thinking, “wait a minute, what is my impact on all this? I’m going to space in a rocket,
