N° 21–2019: Call for media – Nobel Prize laureates call to Space Station

Some of the brightest minds on Earth will talk to astronauts on the International Space Station about their perspective of the Universe, exoplanets and the challenges of spacewalking.

During the live call from space, three 2019 Nobel Prize Laureates will discuss with the astronauts from the Nobel Prize Museum. ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang will moderate the conversation between two of the Nobel Prize laureates in physics, Didier Queloz and Michel Mayor, and the Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry, Stanley Whittingham.

Their discoveries are crucial to the work taking place on the International Space Station.

This year the Nobel Prize in Physics rewards new understanding of the Universe’s structure and history, and the first discovery of a planet orbiting a solar-type star outside our Solar System. Cosmology and exoplanets are among the key themes investigated by ESA’s space science missions, with exoplanet hunter Cheops launching later this year.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry rewards the development of the powerful lithium ion battery. Jessica will recount first-hand how she helped install new lithium-ion batteries during her recent spacewalk to improve the Station’s power capacity following spacewalks with ESA astronauts Tim Peake and Thomas Pesquet on other spacewalks to upgrade to lithium-ion batteries.

Luca is deeply involved in several challenging spacewalks to service the International Space Station’s largest scientific instrument. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) is a sub-atomic particle detector that looks for dark matter, antimatter and measures cosmic rays – high energy particles that travel through space at close to the speed of light.

The European astronaut has carried out two spacewalks to date to maintain AMS-02’s cooling system and ensure it can continue to provide more groundbreaking science to the scientific community for and its principal investigator, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Samuel Ting.

All the Nobel Prize Laureates of 2019, who will visit the museum the same morning, are invited to the event. Members of the Nobel committees and general public will be part of the audience.

Event programme

Friday, 6 December 2019

15:00 - 15:20 CET (14:00 – 14:20 GMT)

Participants:

International Space Station          

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir

Nobel Prize Museum                     

ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang

Nobel Prize in Physics Didier Queloz

Nobel Prize in Physics Michel Mayor

Nobel Prize in Chemistry Stanley Whittingham

Media are invited to watch the livestream of the in-flight call on ESA Web TV: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/ESA_Web_TV

Media registration

Media wishing to follow the video call from the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden can apply for accreditation via press2019@nobelprize.org by 2 December at the latest.

No filming is allowed at the venue.

More information about the Nobel Prize: www.nobelprize.org

Images

http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Luca_powers_up_for_a_spacewalk

Terms and conditions for using ESA images: www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images

For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int

About the European Space Agency

 

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, of which 20 are Member States of the EU.

ESA has established formal cooperation with seven other Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

For further information:

ESA Newsroom and Media Relations – Ninja Menning

Email: media@esa.int

Tel: +31 71 56 56 409

Nobel Prize Museum – Rebecka Oxelström

Email: press2019@nobelprize.org

Tel: +46 734 12 66 75