Crew-3 Mission Delayed, Astronaut Spends Quarantine Days Cleaning Florida Beach Near Launch Site
German astronaut Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency is spending his quarantine days before SpaceX's Crew-3 launch by removing trash from a beach near Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
New Delhi: German astronaut Matthias Maurer, from the European Space Agency, is spending his quarantine days before SpaceX's Crew-3 launch in pursuit of a good cause. He is removing trash from a beach within the range of the Crew-3 launch site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station has been delayed by a few days, and Maurer is spending the remaining days of his quarantine by picking up trash from the beach.
The mission will launch no earlier than 11:36 pm EDT, Saturday (9:06 am IST, Sunday).
Maurer posted a picture of himself holding a large trash bag, and wrote: "I've been relaxing during my quarantine by collecting rubbish on the beach... Sadly, this is not the only bag I filled. We really need to think about our environmental impact on Earth and in space. Clean oceans, clean space! It's up to all of us."
I've been relaxing during my quarantine by collecting rubbish on the beach 😳 Sadly, this is not the only bag I filled. We really need to think about our environmental impact on Earth and in space. Clean oceans, clean space! It's up to all of us. 🌍 pic.twitter.com/yELcONkolA
— Matthias Maurer (@astro_matthias) November 1, 2021
Maurer, through his tweet, expressed concerns about the environmental impact on Earth and in space, and highlighted the importance of cleaning oceans, and space.
The Crew-3 mission was first delayed due to bad weather, and then because of a “minor medical issue” faced by one of the astronauts.
Four astronauts are part of the Crew-3 mission. They are: mission commander Raja Chari, pilot Tom Marshburn, and mission specialist Kayla Barron, all from NASA, besides Maurer.
Cosmic Kiss: Maurer's First Space Mission
The Crew-3 mission will mark Maurer's first space mission, dubbed "Cosmic Kiss" by the European Space Agency.
The mission name depicts Maurer's love for space. Maurer says he has the same love for Earth, and that’s evident from his activity of cleaning the Florida beach.
In a 2020 ESA blog post, Maurer said his mission name communicates the special connection the International Space Station provides between Earth's inhabitants and the cosmos.
He added the name also conveys the significance of partnership in exploring farther to the Moon and Mars, and the need to respect, protect, and preserve our planet for a sustainable future on Earth.
When Maurer reaches orbit, he will officially become the 600th person in space.
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