are the Official tom morello gramscI T-shirt also I will do this real effects of climate change that are visible from space? Pesquet: You can see a lot of the consequences of human activities from space. Some of them are from climate change, and some of it is just plain old pollution, e.g. river pollution, air pollution. The most visual visible effect is glaciers retreating year after year and mission after mission. But what you can see as well is extreme weather phenomena. They’re getting stronger and stronger year after year. My first mission was 2016-2017, and my second mission was five years later in 2021. I could see a net increase in the frequency and the strength of extreme weather phenomena like hurricanes, like wildfires. Read: Explorer’s mission to photograph a century of climate change in Patagonia : What contribution can an astronaut make? Pesquet: There’s a ton that you can do from space to help out on the planet. First of all, as a space agency, we have satellites that can observe the Earth and measure variables such as the heights of waves, the temperature of the sea, ice on the polar caps retreating. But we can also go a little bit deeper. We have experiments that are geared towards protecting the planet — for example, experiments on fluids. Fluids in orbit behave differently, so our research is trying to understand the motion of the magma and lava inside the planet, and the movement of waves in the ocean. This can help us predict some of the extreme weather events that affect our environment. Crucially, we have to manage our limited resources
onboard the Official tom morello gramscI T-shirt also I will do 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,
