Thomas Pesquet posted a photo:

I got out an old friend that I haven't seen since Proxima, the CNES experiment Fluidics! I installed it in 2017 during Proxima and since then eight astronauts have set it up for research. This box holds six spheres with liquid that slosh about up here in weightlessness and are recorded by cameras for researchers to observe – but only one sphere at a time. The experiment has two very different but also somewhat similar benefits: it will help satellite and rocket designers understand how fuel behaves in their tanks (and help them get all the fuel into their thrusters, effectively improving their mileage) as well as help researchers understand ocean currents (and our climate). As today is World Oceans Day let's look at the ocean currents . Like all science it is helpful for researchers to isolate factors and investigate them. It is easier to understand how light travels if you research it in a darkened room for example. With Fluidics researchers are trying to understand how water currents form and behave, without gravity influencing them. The results will isolate the factors at play and help us understand the phenomena on a larger scale. Ocean currents are important for everything from fish migration, to plastic pollution of our seas and even shipping efficiency.

I got out an old friend that I haven't seen since Proxima, the CNES experiment Fluidics! I installed it in 2017 during Proxima and since then eight astronauts have set it up for research. This box holds six spheres with liquid that slosh about up here in weightlessness and are recorded by cameras for researchers to observe – but only one sphere at a time. The experiment has two very different but also somewhat similar benefits: it will help satellite and rocket designers understand how fuel behaves in their tanks (and help them get all the fuel into their thrusters, effectively improving their mileage) as well as help researchers understand ocean currents (and our climate). As today is World Oceans Day let's look at the ocean currents . Like all science it is helpful for researchers to isolate factors and investigate them. It is easier to understand how light travels if you research it in a darkened room for example. With Fluidics researchers are trying to understand how water currents form and behave, without gravity influencing them. The results will isolate the factors at play and help us understand the phenomena on a larger scale. Ocean currents are important for everything from fish migration, to plastic pollution of our seas and even shipping efficiency.

Credits: ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet

607C7660

Thomas Pesquet posted a photo:

Nice earth curvature, with the sun glint! Beautiful to see the reflection track us on the sea surface as we’re floating above… a bit like being followed by dolphins (or am I going crazy?). We actually spend a large time of our orbit above the oceans as 71% of our planet is ocean, we call it the Blue Marble for a reason. Today on #WorldOceansDay the UN sheds light on the wonder of the ocean and how it is our life source, supporting humanity and every other organism on Earth. I think these pictures show the beauty, and the 71% statistic should do the rest. But learn more via : unworldoceansday.org/

La courbure de la Terre et le reflet du Soleil qui nous suit lorsqu’on survole les océans ! C’est une vue assez fréquente depuis la Station, puisque 71% de la surface de la Terre est recouverte d’eau… on ne la compare pas à une bille bleue sans raison ;) Aujourd’hui c’est la #JournéeMondialeDelOcéan, et les UN attirent notre attention sur cet écosystème précieux qui rend notre planète habitable. En plus la mer c’est l’évasion, les voyages, les tropiques, les bateaux de pirate : tout un univers qui me faisait rêver plus jeune, et que j’ai enrichi depuis avec la course au large. Je vous laisse contempler ces quelques photos (et voici un lien si vous voulez en savoir plus :wink:). unworldoceansday.org/

Credits: ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet

421D6165

Thomas Pesquet posted a photo:

Nice earth curvature, with the sun glint! Beautiful to see the reflection track us on the sea surface as we’re floating above… a bit like being followed by dolphins (or am I going crazy?). We actually spend a large time of our orbit above the oceans as 71% of our planet is ocean, we call it the Blue Marble for a reason. Today on #WorldOceansDay the UN sheds light on the wonder of the ocean and how it is our life source, supporting humanity and every other organism on Earth. I think these pictures show the beauty, and the 71% statistic should do the rest. But learn more via : unworldoceansday.org/

La courbure de la Terre et le reflet du Soleil qui nous suit lorsqu’on survole les océans ! C’est une vue assez fréquente depuis la Station, puisque 71% de la surface de la Terre est recouverte d’eau… on ne la compare pas à une bille bleue sans raison ;) Aujourd’hui c’est la #JournéeMondialeDelOcéan, et les UN attirent notre attention sur cet écosystème précieux qui rend notre planète habitable. En plus la mer c’est l’évasion, les voyages, les tropiques, les bateaux de pirate : tout un univers qui me faisait rêver plus jeune, et que j’ai enrichi depuis avec la course au large. Je vous laisse contempler ces quelques photos (et voici un lien si vous voulez en savoir plus :wink:). unworldoceansday.org/

Credits: ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet

421D6163

Thomas Pesquet posted a photo:

Nice earth curvature, with the sun glint! Beautiful to see the reflection track us on the sea surface as we’re floating above… a bit like being followed by dolphins (or am I going crazy?). We actually spend a large time of our orbit above the oceans as 71% of our planet is ocean, we call it the Blue Marble for a reason. Today on #WorldOceansDay the UN sheds light on the wonder of the ocean and how it is our life source, supporting humanity and every other organism on Earth. I think these pictures show the beauty, and the 71% statistic should do the rest. But learn more via : unworldoceansday.org/

La courbure de la Terre et le reflet du Soleil qui nous suit lorsqu’on survole les océans ! C’est une vue assez fréquente depuis la Station, puisque 71% de la surface de la Terre est recouverte d’eau… on ne la compare pas à une bille bleue sans raison ;) Aujourd’hui c’est la #JournéeMondialeDelOcéan, et les UN attirent notre attention sur cet écosystème précieux qui rend notre planète habitable. En plus la mer c’est l’évasion, les voyages, les tropiques, les bateaux de pirate : tout un univers qui me faisait rêver plus jeune, et que j’ai enrichi depuis avec la course au large. Je vous laisse contempler ces quelques photos (et voici un lien si vous voulez en savoir plus :wink:). unworldoceansday.org/

Credits: ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet

421D6162

Thomas Pesquet posted a photo:

Since SpaceX CRS-22 arrived, our Station has a new attic! We unpacked a lot but there’s still some cargo up there. Megan was the first one to climb and open the hatch into this new addition to our house. Kind of cool to have a modular house where rooms attach themselves once in a while.

Depuis l’arrivée du cargo Dragon, on a un nouveau grenier ! Il est amarré au zénith, donc le point le plus haut de la Station. On a déjà déballé une grande partie de ce qu’il nous a apporté, mais il y a encore quelques sacs à ranger. Megan a été la première à grimper pour ouvrir l’écoutille de ce nouveau (quoique temporaire) élément de l’ISS. Plutôt sympa ce concept de maison extensible avec des modules qui s’ajoutent de temps en temps :)

Credits: ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet

607C7922