How does Thomas Pesquet work on Earth?

European astronauts aren't freelancers called in for a mission: they hold a permanent position at the European Space Agency, attached to the European Astronaut Centre located at the agency's site in Cologne. That's where the mock-ups of the Station's European modules, the training pool and the classrooms are found. Between assignments, the schedule looks more like that of a highly itinerant engineer than that of a celebrity.

A large share of the time is spent on skill-maintenance training: ISS systems, emergency procedures, Russian and technical English, diving, jet flights to keep up reactivity in a dynamic environment. Add to that campaigns abroad, in Houston, at Star City or in Japan, depending on which segments are involved.

A ground-based astronaut also works for those in orbit. They act as a point of contact for crews, take part in validating procedures, test operations on the ground before they are carried out in flight, and contribute to the lessons learned from European scientific experiments. Past missions directly feed into the preparation of the next ones.

Added to that is work on future programs. Europe takes part in the Artemis program by supplying the European service modules for the Orion spacecraft, and the agency's astronauts are involved in defining the procedures and equipment for a return to the Moon.

Finally, the communication role isn't an add-on: it's part of the job description. Conferences, schools, institutions, books, photography and social media — an area where Thomas Pesquet has invested particularly heavily. For an agency funded by the contributions of its member states, public support is part of the job.