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Day 131, orbit 2028 — Being an astronaut on a space mission doesn’t mean you get out of vacuuming or dusting! A few weeks ago, I shared a timelapse of tidying up the European Columbus lab… and here’s another one – this time, it’s all about cleaning

On board the ISS, we pay special attention to the air vents. Every system that pulls in air is equipped with filters that trap dust, and we vacuum those to keep the airflow running smoothly.

So yes… every Saturday, it’s cleaning day: cloths and vacuum out! And I’m sure some of you are wondering: just like everything else up here, each task is scheduled by the planners on the ground.

So to all the kids reading this: astronauts definitely have to put everything back where they found it and to do their chores ‍ , even on board a spaceship!

 

À bord de l’ISS, on porte une attention particulière au nettoyage des grilles de ventilation. Chaque système qui aspire l’air est doté de filtres qui captent la poussière. Ce sont eux qu’on nettoie avec l’aspirateur pour garder un fonctionnement optimal de la ventilation.

Du coup, tous les samedis, c’est chiffon et aspirateur ! Et je suis sûre que vous vous posez la question : comme pour toutes les activités, ce sont les planificateurs au sol qui mettent cette activité sur notre emploi du temps.

Alors à tous les enfants qui me lisent : être astronaute ‍ , c’est aussi devoir ranger chaque chose à sa place… et faire le ménage à bord de son vaisseau spatial ! 

Euclid’s view of our galaxy’s bulge (16:9 cutout)

English: Paxi and the European Space Agency

Did you know that space affects your life every single day? Join Paxi to discover all the ways the European Space Agency (ESA) makes life on Earth better every day and explores space, from the satellites above your head to missions looking deep into the universe. Paxi also shares ways you can be a part of Europe's space team.

Greek: Ο Πάξι και ο Ευρωπαϊκός Οργανισμός Διαστήματος

Γνωρίζατε ότι το διάστημα επηρεάζει τη ζωή σας κάθε μέρα; Γίνετε μέλος του Paxi για να ανακαλύψετε όλους τους τρόπους με τους οποίους ο Ευρωπαϊκός Οργανισμός Διαστήματος (ESA) βελτιώνει την καθημερινή ζωή στη Γη και εξερευνά το διάστημα, από τους δορυφόρους πάνω από το κεφάλι σας μέχρι τις αποστολές που κοιτάζουν βαθιά στο σύμπαν. Ο Paxi μοιράζεται επίσης τρόπους με τους οποίους μπορείτε να γίνετε μέλος της διαστημικής ομάδας της Ευρώπης.

German: Paxi und die Europäische Weltraumorganisation

Wusstest du, dass der Weltraum dein Leben jeden einzelnen Tag beeinflusst? Begleite Paxi und entdecke, wie die Europäische Weltraumorganisation (ESA) das Leben auf der Erde jeden Tag verbessert und den Weltraum erforscht – von den Satelliten über deinem Kopf μέχρι hin zu Missionen, die tief ins Universum blicken. Paxi zeigt dir auch, wie du selbst Teil des europäischen Weltraumteams werden kannst.

Spanish: Paxi y la Agencia Espacial Europea

¿Sabías que el espacio afecta a tu vida todos los días? Únete a Paxi για descubrir todas las formas en que la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA) mejora la vida en la Tierra cada día y explora el espacio, desde los satélites que vuelan sobre tu cabeza hasta las misiones que profundizan en el universo. Paxi también te cuenta cómo puedes formar parte del equipo espacial de Europa.

Dutch: Paxi en het Europees Ruimteagentschap

Wist je dat de ruimte elke dag invloed heeft op je leven? Ga met Paxi op ontdekkingstocht en zie hoe de Europese Ruimtevaartorganisatie (ESA) het leven op aarde elke dag beter maakt en de ruimte verkent, van de satellieten boven je hoofd tot missies die diep in het heelal kijken. Paxi laat je ook zien hoe jij deel kunt uitmaken van het Europese ruimteteam.

Nowegian: Paxi og Den europeiske romfartsorganisasjon

Visste du at verdensrommet påvirker livet ditt hver eneste dag? Bli med Paxi for å oppdage alle måtene den europeiske romfartsorganisasjonen (ESA) gjør livet på jorden bedre hver dag og utforsker verdensrommet, fra satellittene over hodet ditt til oppdrag som ser dypt inn i universet. Paxi deler også måter du kan bli en del av Europas romteam på.

Estonian: Paxi ja Euroopa Kosmoseagentuur

Kas teadsid, et kosmos mõjutab Sinu elu iga jumala päev? Liitu Paxiga, et avastada kõiki viise, kuidas Euroopa Kosmoseagentuur (ESA) muudab elu Maal iga päev paremaks ja uurib kosmost, alates Sinu pea kohal olevatest satelliitidest kuni missioonideni, mis vaatavad sügavale universumisse. Paxi jagab ka viise, kuidas Sina saad olla osa Euroopa kosmosemeeskonnast.

Portuguese: Paxi e a Agência Espacial Europeia

Sabias que o espaço afeta a tua vida todos os dias? Junta-te ao Paxi para descobrires todas as formas como a Agência Espacial Europeia (ESA) melhora a vida na Terra todos os dias e explora o espaço, desde os satélites acima da tua cabeça até às missões que olham bem fundo no universo. O Paxi também partilha formas de como podes fazer parte da equipa espacial da Europa.

Polish: Paxi i Europejska Agencja Kosmiczna

Czy wiesz, że kosmos ma wpływ na Twoje życie każdego dnia? Dołącz do Paxiego, aby odkryć, na jak wiele sposobów Europejska Agencja Kosmiczna (ESA) każdego dnia ulepsza życie na Ziemi i bada kosmos – od satelitów nad Twoją głową po misje zaglądające w głąb wszechświata. Paxi podpowie Ci również, jak możesz stać się częścią europejskiego zespołu kosmicznego.

Romanian: Paxi și Agenția Spațială Europeană

Știai că spațiul îți influențează viața în fiecare zi? Alătură-te lui Paxi pentru a descoperi toate modurile în care Agenția Spațială Europeană (ESA) face viața pe Pământ mai bună în fiecare zi și explorează spațiul, de la sateliții de deasupra capului tău până la misiunile care privesc adânc în univers. Paxi îți arată, de asemenea, cum poți face parte din echipa spațială a Europei.

Slovenian: Paxi in Evropska vesoljska agencija

Ali ste vedeli, da vesolje vsak dan vpliva na vaše življenje? Pridružite se Paxiju in odkrijte vse načine, kako Evropska vesoljska agencija (ESA) vsak dan izboljšuje življenje na Zemlji in raziskuje vesolje, od satelitov nad vašo glavo do misij, ki gledajo globoko v vesolje. Paxi deli tudi načine, kako lahko postanete del evropske vesoljske ekipe.

Hungarian: A Paxi és az Európai Űrügynökség

Tudtad, hogy az űr minden egyes nap hatással van az életedre? Tarts Paxival, és fedezd fel, mi mindennel teszi jobbá az Európai Űrügynökség (ESA) a földi életet nap mint nap, és hogyan kutatja a világűrt a fejed felett elhaladó műholdaktól kezdve egészen az univerzum mélyét fürkésző missziókig. Paxi azt is megmutatja, hogyan válhatsz te is Európa űrcsapatának tagjává.

Czech: Paxi a Evropská kosmická agentura

Věděli jste, že vesmír ovlivňuje váš život každý den? Připojte se k Paximu a zjistěte, jakými všemi způsoby Evropská vesmírná agentura (ESA) každodenně zlepšuje život na Zemi a zkoumá vesmír – od družic nad vašimi hlavami až po mise nahlížející hluboko do vesmíru. Paxi vám také ukáže, jak se můžete stát součástí evropského vesmírného týmu.

Finnish: Paxi ja Euroopan avaruusjärjestö

Tiesitkö, että avaruus vaikuttaa elämääsi joka ikinen päivä? Lähde Paxin mukaan ottamaan selvää kaikista niistä tavoista, joilla Euroopan avaruusjärjestö (ESA) parantaa elämää maapallolla päivittäin ja tutkii avaruutta – aina pääsi yläpuolella olevista satelliiteista aina maailmankaikkeuden syvyyksiin katsoviin tutkimusretkiin. Paxi kertoo myös, miten sinä voit tulla osaksi Euroopan avaruustiimiä.

Danish: Paxi og Den Europæiske Rumorganisation

Vidste du, at rummet påvirker dit liv hver eneste dag? Tag med Paxi for at opdage alle de måder, hvorpå Den Europæiske Rumorganisation (ESA) gør livet på Jorden bedre hver dag og udforsker rummet, lige fra satellitterne over dit hoved til missioner, der kigger dybt ind i universet. Paxi fortæller også, hvordan du kan blive en del af Europas rumteam.

Swedish: Paxi och den Europeiska rymdorganisationen

Visste du att rymden påverkar ditt liv varje dag? Följ med Paxi för att upptäcka alla sätt som Europeiska rymdorganisationen (ESA) gör livet på jorden bättre varje dag och utforskar rymden, från satelliterna ovanför ditt huvud till uppdrag som blickar djupt in i universum. Paxi berättar också hur du kan bli en del av Europas rymdteam.

Italian: Paxi e l’Agenzia Spaziale Europea

Sapevi che lo spazio influenza la tua vita ogni singolo giorno? Unisciti a Paxi per scoprire tutti i modi in care l'Agenzia Spaziale Europea (ESA) rende migliore la vita sulla Terra ogni giorno ed esplora lo spazio, dai satelliti sopra la tua testa alle missioni che guardano nelle profondità dell'universo. Paxi ti spiega anche come puoi entrare a far parte del team spaziale europeo.

French: Paxi et l’Agence spatiale européenne 

Saviez-vous que l'espace influence votre vie de tous les jours ? Rejoignez Paxi pour découvrir comment l'Agence spatiale européenne (ESA) améliore le quotidien sur Terre et explore l'espace, des satellites au-dessus de votre tête aux missions qui sondent les profondeurs de l'univers. Paxi vous explique également comment faire partie de l'équipe spatiale européenne.

This image of Earth, with the day-night terminator line clearly visible, was captured by the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) mission

Meet the voices astronauts hear in space. At ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, the EUROCOM team is the link between crew and ground, guiding astronauts like ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot through their daily work on the International Space Station. Join us as EUROCOM expert Andreas Orth explains how complex operations are translated into clear, real-time communication and what it means to be the one voice connecting Earth and orbit.

This interview was recorded in March 2026.

Listen on all major podcast platforms.

Keep exploring with ESA Explores.

Sophie is halfway through the εpsilon mission onboard the ISS, and she has already accomplished so much. Between hundreds of hours of scientific research and thousands of photographs taken from space, she has taken the time to share many unforgettable moments with us — inspiring millions along the way on social media.

Watch the replay of the media information session where ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and outgoing ESA Council Chair Renato Krpoun provide an update on the main outcomes of the 347th ESA Council meeting, held at ESA Headquarters in Paris on 16–17 June 2026.

This video was published on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot with the following caption:

Day 122, orbit 1892 — In this timelapse, I’m installing the European NEMUCO experiment in the BioLab facility of the Columbus laboratory module. Delivered by the CRS-34 cargo mission, NEMUCO explores how nerve and muscle cells develop and communicate in microgravity, compared to samples on Earth.

Without countermeasures – like two hours of daily exercise – astronauts’ muscles not only shrink but also lose strength and coordination. NEMUCO investigates, at the cellular level, how microgravity affects the formation of connections and stability between nerves and muscles, known as neuromuscular junction (NMJ). These are crucial for providing functional muscle!

Understanding these changes will help protect astronauts’ health on future missions and could also support improved therapies on Earth for rehabilitation, aging, and neurodegenerative neuromuscular diseases.

Go science!

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Jour 122, orbite 1892 – Dans ce timelapse, j’installe l’expérience européenne NEMUCO dans BioLab, un équipement du module Columbus. Arrivée à bord du cargo CRS‑34, NEMUCO étudie la façon dont les cellules nerveuses et musculaires se développent et communiquent en micropesanteur comparé à des échantillons sur Terre.

Sans contre‑mesures – comme nos deux heures d’exercice quotidien – les muscles des astronautes ont tendance à fondre, mais aussi à perdre en force et en coordination. NEMUCO cherche à comprendre, au niveau cellulaire, comment la micropesanteur influence la formation et la stabilité des connexions entre nerfs et muscles = la jonction neuromusculaire, essentielle à un muscle pleinement fonctionnel !

Mieux comprendre ces mécanismes permettra de protéger la santé des astronautes lors des futures missions… et pourrait aussi contribuer à améliorer des thérapies sur Terre, notamment dans les domaines de la rééducation, du vieillissement ou pour certaines maladies neuromusculaires.

Vive la science !

Satellite measurements are showing a sharp surge in sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Pacific in recent months – the clearest early signal that El Niño is back. This powerful climate pattern, and its counterpart La Niña, can supercharge weather worldwide, amplifying extremes from heatwaves and droughts to torrential rainfall, floods and disrupted winter storm tracks, all on top of the effects of the already warming climate driven by human activity.

The animation shows global sea-surface temperature for 1–7 June 2026.

Read full story: Pacific warming signals El Niño has stirred

Step inside the Columbus Control Centre near Munich, Germany, and discover what it takes to keep ESA's Columbus laboratory running—24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Columbus Flight Director Tristan Hermel takes us behind the scenes of mission control, where teams on the ground coordinate operations, support astronauts and work with international partners across the globe.

Get a glimpse of life behind the consoles as ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot carries out her Epsilon mission on board the Space Station.

This interview was recorded in January 2026.

Listen on all major podcast platforms.

Keep exploring with ESA Explores.

This timelapse was published by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on social media with the following caption:

Day 105, orbit 1629 — This accelerated video shows the installation of MatISS-4, a French experiment that aims to collect and study the biocontamination of the air inside the European Columbus module. Biocontamination – such as small skin cells, droplets from sneezes or saliva, and bacteria – is unavoidable, so we make sure to clean surfaces every week (I’ll publish a housekeeping timelapse soon!), but some areas are particularly hard to reach…

Over 10 years, MatISS has shown that the Station’s systems are very efficient; after several months of exposure, the contamination level inside the MatISS cases remains low. MatISS-4 features a new design, which will allow the contaminated membranes to be analysed at the European Synchrotron in Grenoble using an X-ray nano-imaging instrument. Go science! 

MatISS has also enabled researchers to identify surfaces that are more resistant to biocontamination, opening up many applications on Earth: in public transportation, where thousands of people touch the same surfaces every day, in places where limiting contamination is key, such as hospitals, cruise ships, and submarines, and even in livestock farming. Less biocontamination = less cleaning with chemical products! 

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Jour 105, orbite 1629 – Cette vidéo accélérée montre l’installation de MatISS‑4, une expérience française qui vise à collecter et étudier la biocontamination de l’air à l’intérieur du module européen Columbus. La biocontamination – cellules de peau, éternuements, postillons, bactéries – est inévitable. Nous nettoyons les surfaces chaque semaine (je publierai bientôt un timelapse de ménage !), mais certaines zones sont particulièrement difficiles d’accès…

Depuis plus de 10 ans, MatISS démontre que les systèmes de la Station sont très efficaces ; après plusieurs mois d’exposition, le niveau de contamination à l’intérieur des boîtiers reste faible. MatISS‑4 présente un nouveau design, qui permettra d’analyser les membranes contaminées à l’aide d’un instrument de nano-imagerie X du synchrotron européen de Grenoble. Vive la science !

MatISS a également permis aux chercheurs d’identifier des surfaces plus résistantes à la biocontamination, ouvrant la voie à de nombreuses applications sur Terre : dans les transports publics, où des milliers de personnes touchent les mêmes surfaces chaque jour , dans les lieux où limiter la contamination est essentiel, tels que les hôpitaux, les navires de croisière et les sous‑marins, et même dans les élevages. Moins de biocontamination = moins de nettoyage avec des produits chimiques !

On 20 May, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted an in-flight call with selected media representatives live aboard the International Space Station. During the discussion, Sophie shared insights into life and research in orbit, including scientific experiments supporting human health, climate science and future space exploration.

After an intense few weeks the crew took time to celebrate together with a shared meal proposed by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot.

It’s a long‑standing tradition: each ESA astronaut works with a chef to create a few special dishes reserved for rare occasions — known as “bonus food”. Sophie’s bonus food was created by multi‑Michelin‑starred chef Anne‑Sophie Pic, offering the crew a taste of French gastronomy far from Earth.

Bonus food, tailored to specific crew members, makes up around one tenth of an astronaut’s menu. Astronauts say it adds variety to their meals, supports mental well‑being, and helps strengthen bonds among the crew in orbit.

This timelapse shows ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot tidying the European Columbus laboratory aboard the International Space Station. Keeping the Station organised is crucial for crew safety and smooth operations, ensuring that science and maintenance can continue without interruption.

Every item has its place, and as crews rotate every few months, ground teams play an important role in helping locate any item needed for an experiment or a maintenance task.

The first‑of‑its‑kind ship‑to‑ship call between astronauts on deep‑space and low Earth orbit missions.On 7 April, the Artemis II crew of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, together with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, spoke with Expedition 74 astronauts Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir of NASA, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot aboard the International Space Station.