On Wednesday, German astronaut Alexander Gerst, Sergei Prokopyev and Serena Aunon-Chancellor will fly to the International Space Station (ISS). The "Horizons" mission will be Gerst's second mission.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O. Berg
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This Wednesday, German astronaut Alexander Gerst, along with a Russian and American counterpart, will take off abroad a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan's Baikonur spaceport after two years of intense preparations.
Alexander Gerst, or "Astro-Alex" as some affectionately call him, has played through 50 different experiments he will conduct once abroad the International Space Station (ISS), and has familiarized himself with all the necessary high-tech equipment. He's kept himself physically fit, and endured endless medicals and other tests.
Intense preparations
Gerst learned how to steer a Soyuz spaceship and how to safely dock the capsule to the ISS. He's practiced space walks, and studied the ISS' elaborate technological controls, prepared for emergencies and other situations. And he worked closely with his advisers, who will keep supporting him while in space.
He even met design students from Darmstadt who created the "Horizons" logo for his mission. He also picked which space food he'll be tucking into while in zero g: Swabian dumplings and other specialties from Germany's southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, where Gerst comes from. And he's brushed up on his Russian language skills.
Baikonur - from Soviet space port to an international astronaut hub
The space port in Kazakhstan was home to the first Sputnik satellites. Later, all cosmonauts took off from here. The space stations MIR and part of the ISS were launched, and all of today's astronauts start here.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/D. Lovetsky
On the way to the launchpad
A Soyuz rocket is on the way to its launchpad in Baikonur. German astronaut Alexander Gerst will take off - along with a Russian and US colleague - on June 6 to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard such a rocket.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/D. Lovetsky
Famous predecessors
The first mammals that safely went to space and back took of from Baikonur: Belka and Strelka travelled along with a rabbit, 40 mice and two rats. All were safely recovered in the Kazakh desert. It was the first proof that manned space travel was possible.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ Heritage Images
The first man in space
Yuri Gagarin took off on April 12, 1961 from Baikonur. He was the first man to circle Earth in a full orbit. Trained as a metal caster, Gagarin was still in training to become a military pilot when he was chosen as a cosmonaut for the first flight.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
Safe landing
Gagarin's space capsule after successfully landing in Kazakhstan. His flight established the cosmodrome in Baikonur for the coming centuries as the main Soviet center for space exploration. Additionally, the Soviet Union built its Star City near Moscow as a center for research and development.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
The first woman in space
Valentina Tereshkova gives a salute before departing into space on June 16, 1963 from Baikonur. For the Soviet Union, the flight was a strong and confident signal for the emancipation of women.
Image: picture-alliance/Heritage Images
Soviet, Russian, Kazakh
A statue of Lenin in Baikonur against the backdrop of a cloud-covered super moon on November 14, 2016. Soviet heritage is clearly visible in the city of Baikonur. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the cosmodrome remained Russian sovereign territory. Russia signed a contract with Kazakhstan until 2050.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/D. Lovetsky
Where space travellers from all over the world come and go
Since the end of NASA's Space Shuttle program, the cosmodrome in Baikonur has been the only place on Earth for manned space travel. All flights are conducted with Soyuz spaceships, and all go to the ISS. Here are: Randolph Bresnik (NASA), Paolo Nespoli (ESA) and Sergei Ryazansky (Roskosmos) boarding in July 2017.
Image: picture-alliance/TASS/Y. Smityuk
Launching commercial cargo
There is more competition for satellite launches: ESA has it's space port in Kourou, NASA several in the US. Nonetheless, Baikonur is serving more and more western companies looking to put cargo into orbit. This Proton roket is carrying British telecommunication satellites.
Image: Getty Images/AFP
Proven workhorse
Right now, the preparations are in high gear for a new Soyus launch with three travellers to the ISS - like on this older picture.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Sitdikov
Experience, never routine
Alexander Gerst knows the procedures: May 28, 2014 was his last time getting into the Soyuz capsule for a launch. This time around excitement is just as high.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/EPA/S. Ilnitsky
A new spaceport in Siberia
Russia does not want to meke itself totally dependent on Kazakhstan. Since last year it began launching rockets from its new spaceport Vostochny in the Amur region of Siberia. For security reasons, no manned space travel is allowed there, yet. But satellites are already being launched into orbit. After all, Baikonur will still continue to serve more generations of cosmonauts and astronauts.
Image: Reuters
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Twitter celebrity and space teacher
Despite his busy schedule, Gerst has found time to keep his ever-growing Twitter fanbase up-to-date, getting youngsters interested in all things astronomical. He currently has more than one million Twitter followers. That's almost five times more than before his last space mission.
He'll take a metal sphere, a kind of time capsule, with him containing essays by German students about their hopes and dreams. And an Astro Pi mini computer that German pupils currently use to learn programming — several teams of students wrote software for computer experiments to be conducted in space.
Gerst will also by accompanied by two figurines from Germany's famous children's TV show "Sendung mit der Maus" (the Mouse Show). Once on the ISS, the three will conduct an experiment on how toy rockets fare in zero gravity.
Astro-Alex is also a passionate radio amateur, a skill which he will make use of to contact young space enthusiasts. His call sign is KF5ONO. While abroad ISS, Gerst will radio a group of pupils from Leverkusen, among others. A local radio amateur club will help students at Werner Heisenberg high school install the necessary equipment.
All of this is part of their curriculum — and requires Gerst giving up some free time in space, which he's happy to do. It will be Gerst's second space lesson; he has already given one during his first mission.
Of course, Gerst also talked to the media, patiently answering all their questions — even when he had to repeat himself over and over. His enviable patience will serve him well, because Gerst will command the space station – becoming the first German astronaut to do so.
After a two-day journey, theSoyuz capsule will arrive at the ISS. And then Gerst will get to work on his numerous space experiments.
It's his second space mission; between May and November 2015, he spent 165 days abroad the ISS, serving as an engineer for the "Blue Dot" mission. He even completed a project outside the space station.
His latest mission, starting on Wednesday, will last half a year. Fortunately, Astro-Alex will be back in time to celebrate Christmas on Earth.
