Former ISS commander believes there are aliens

Frank de Winne, the first European astronaut to ever command the International Space Station (ISS), believes that the earth is not the only place to have life.

When de Winne was a teenager, astronomers discovered many interesting things about galaxies, black holes and supernovae. It was these discoveries that caught his attention and made him passionate about astronomy. In 1981, when de Winne was a college student, the US shuttle Columbia made the first human flight into space. That was the year de Winne set a goal for himself to become an astronaut. He wrote to the US Aeronautics Agency to raise his aspirations, but they replied that he was too young and should focus on learning.

Can life exist outside the globe? ' is the very basic question that de Winne cares about most. Although scientists have yet to find concrete evidence, the former astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA) still believes the earth is not the only place in the universe where there is life.

Frank de Winne is the second Belgian to enter the universe. (Photo: ESA)

'About 500-600 years ago people used to believe that the earth is the center of the universe and all stars and planets revolve around the earth. But today we all know it is not true and the earth is just an extremely small element in immense space. The universe consists of billions of galaxies and every galaxy has billions of stars. Now every day we discover 3 to 5 new planets. I am an open minded person. So I believe humans are not alone in the universe , 'he explained.

Former 50-year-old astronaut said astronautics have many interesting things. Flying into space and living in a hovering state is what countless people dream of. From the universe, de Winne can fully admire the beauty of the earth, and feel the vastness of the universe.

But the most interesting thing for him is to work with people from different parts of the world. For example, on the International Space Station (ISS) he regularly works with astronauts from many countries such as the US, Russia, Japan, Germany, Canada. Every day thousands of people on the ground work together to support astronauts in the universe.

'Each astronaut is only a member of a large group. We work together for the future of humanity , 'he commented.

Flying into space is what many people dream about, but it is also the greatest challenge for all astronauts. They will have to be away from home for a long time (usually 6 months). In the early days of space, astronauts faced many difficulties. All activities in a weightless environment take place much slower than when they are done on earth. On the ISS, astronauts cannot bathe for 6 months.

'Whenever I meet students in high schools, I often tell them: The most interesting thing in the universe is that astronauts don't have to take a bath for half a year , ' he said.

Frank de Winne runs on a conveyor belt in one
ISS compartment to maintain muscle and fitness. (Photo: ESA)

The weightless environment makes human muscles very easy to shrink. So astronauts must exercise regularly to maintain health and muscle. The sports that de Winne and other astronauts often practice are running on conveyor belts, lifting weights. Water on the ISS and the spacecraft are continuously recycled to become pure water.

'We often jokingly say that the coffee cup an astronaut drinks today is mixed with the coffee cup he drank yesterday and the previous days,' de Winne said.

Space exploration is dangerous work. So astronauts are always ready to deal with the worst situations. De Winne said handling unexpected incidents accounted for 70% of astronauts' activity during training before each flight. During the first training session, everything will go according to plan so that the astronaut understands how the normal flight will take place. But from the second training session until the last practice session, all kinds of incidents continue to arise so that the astronaut learns to cope. Only for the return of the spacecraft, de Winne always had to practice landing at least 200 times before each flight. The practice of dealing with incidents is repeated many times so that astronauts are not in a state of panic if an emergency occurs. Every time an incident arises, de Winne always believes that he and his teammates can handle it.

'Of course, we are still aware that the worst can happen on every expedition, such as the Columbia space shuttle explosion in 2003. Every flight can be disastrous for probability of 1/80. That figure shows that space exploration is a dangerous activity , "de Winne said.

Frank de Winne worked on ISS on October 29, 2009. (Photo: ESA)

The life of an astronaut helps de Winne learn many great lessons in everyday life - such as discipline, self-control and living for everyone.

"Imagine you have to live and work in a small space on ISS with 5 other people for 6 months. In that environment you have to manage yourself very well so that the things you do do not adversely affect People around you: When you feel bored or tired, you can't go somewhere to relieve yourself, your negative mood will also affect your colleagues, because in such a narrow space people have to It's easy to detect other people's emotions, so you have to take good care of yourself so that you don't fall into a negative state, in case you fall into a negative state, you must try to hide the bad mood. It does not spread to others, it is a habit that I have always maintained in my everyday life n ground, " de Winne said.