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What is the temperature on the International Space Station? What are the sleeping quarters like? And how do you swallow food in a weightless environment? German ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer will answer these and other fascinating questions in a new video series produced by the German Space Agency at DLR. In total, 36 animated clips lasting 40 to 90 seconds will be uploaded to the new YouTube channel by the German Space Agency in 4K resolution, providing a glimpse into how astronauts live and work in space. The first 10 videos have now been published, and two more will be added each week.

Among other things, viewers will find out what happens to the astronauts' dirty laundry. It is placed in a transport capsule, which burns up in the atmosphere on its way towards Earth. "In other words, not everything shooting star in the sky is a real one," says Maurer with a wry smile. "Occasionally, it is just one of Matthias' T-shirts." Maybe the starry sky is a little less romantic than we imagine it to be? Animated sections in the videos keep the short clips easy to understand and entertaining. The information will certainly include the odd surprise for some of the viewers. Do we all really know that the astronauts 'dine together' on the ISS? Naturally, we also answer the most frequently asked questions we receive from the public: "How does the toilet work on the ISS?"

Maurer will soon have the opportunity to experience life on the ISS first-hand, as he is scheduled to journey into space on board a Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 launcher, departing from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 30 October 2021. The capsule will dock with the ISS after around 11 to 12 hours of flight – making Matthias the fourth German on the International Space Station after Thomas Reiter (2006), Hans Schlegel (2008) and Alexander Gerst (2014 and 2018). Maurer will spend six months in a microgravity environment during his Cosmic Kiss mission, performing more than 100 experiments, 36 of them from Germany. They extend from basic research in the life and natural sciences to technology trials. An extensive programme for schools is also planned, with competitions, videos and live calls with the aspiring scientists.

DLR is involved in the mission in many ways. The German Space Agency at DLR, which is based in Bonn, is responsible for selecting and coordinating the experiments and Germany's contributions. DLR researchers will also carry out their own experiments. The ESA Columbus Control Centre at DLR's German Space Operations Center in Oberpfaffenhofen is responsible for planning and conducting the experiments that will be performed in the European Columbus module on the ISS. The experiment data will be sent from there to the national control centres, which will pass them on to the scientific community and partners from industry.

Click here to subscribe to the YouTube channel of the German Space Agency at DLR.