From space, Earth looks fragile

"Distinguish between the impossible and the improbable." said Marcus Wandt with reference to his own improbable but not impossible path – from engineer and fighter pilot to astronaut on the International Space Station ISS, when he gave a guest lecture at Luleå University of Technology on April 10.

Marcus Wandt's background in the Air Force and a degree in electrical engineering were hardly a detriment to realising his dreams of space travel. But it was far from certain that he would go into space, even though he was accepted into the European Space Agency's astronaut program in 2022. Not all astronauts become spacefarers and initially he was on a reserve list. But on June 16, 2023, it was announced that Marcus Wandt would join the International Space Station (ISS).

The planning was rigorous. Two weeks before launch, Marcus Wandt, the other astronauts and the other staff were quarantined. No one is allowed to fall ill to the extent that the launch has to be canceled or to carry any contamination into space. One day before launch, the entire team goes through all the steps as if it were a real-life situation. For the first time, Marcus Wandt can see the rocket up close.

- As an engineer and test pilot, I couldn't help thinking about the thickness of the hull and the forces it would soon be subjected to. I actually got some butterflies in my stomach.

Then it was time for the launch. Marcus Wandt describes the strange feeling when the engines start and the whole rocket comes to life and is thrown into space with a force of 1.7 million pounds.

- The acceleration is unexpectedly fast. There is no hesitation in the acceleration. Unlike the Gripen, which quickly reaches its peak, the rocket just keeps accelerating.

Applause in space

When the rocket is 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface, which is the definition of the border to space, there is a spontaneous applause from the whole team.

- Whatever happens after this, we know that at least we have been in space.

Marcus Wandt's face turns a little pale as they plunge further into space at a speed of almost 28 000 km per hour. "Is it really supposed to vibrate this much?" Even his colleague who has been in space before looks a little scared.

But all goes well and they are able to dock with the space station. Here, Marcus Wandt conducts a number of experiments on behalf of different research teams. One experiment was to test how stem cells are affected by weightlessness, which turned out to be positive: growth increased. In another experiment, Marcus Wandt's cognitive ability was tested in the extreme working environment of a spaceship.

- "I got to wear a cool hat with electrodes that measured my reaction time, working memory and multi-tasking ability.

Marcus Wandt was surprised by how quickly he learned to deal with the weightlessness of space, or 'microgravity' as it is preferably called in the scientific community, because weightlessness is not absolute.

- If you miss the target you are floating towards, you instinctively want to start "swimming". But this is completely pointless. Just wait until you reach a wall so you can push yourself in the right direction. Pretty soon you learn how much force is needed.

Everything is fastened with Velcro

You don't put anything down in space. Everything is attached with tape or Velcro.

- If you lose something on Earth, you don't look up here,' says Marcus Wandt, pointing to a spot above his head.

It's different in weightlessness. There, a lost item can end up just about anywhere. A semi-safe bet is to look at the air intakes after a few days.

Not everything is work on the space station. There is time to contemplate the mighty spectacle outside the window. The sense of reverence for the home planet Earth described by Markus Wandt and other astronauts is so common that it has its own name: Overview effect.

- During the day, it is almost unbelievably beautiful. You see the Earth's thin atmosphere against a starless, pitch-black space. The Earth looks so lonely and fragile in that vast dark space. You want to take care of it. At night, the stars shine close by. Suddenly the Earth doesn't feel so lonely.

He describes how proud he was of Sweden when he saw his homeland from space for the first time. But gradually the borders between different countries became blurred.

- The Earth eventually became quite tangible. I could accurately point out places, but I had no idea which country they were in.

The journey home took 47 hours. As they approached Earth, they could literally see it spinning on its own axis, as if a giant had pressed his finger against it and set it spinning. The speed drops from eight kilometers to a few meters per second just before impact when the parachutes deploy with a loud bang.

- When you hit the water, it feels like someone is driving a baseball bat with all their might into the back of your chair.