RWTH: ESA Astronaut Matthias Maurer Pays Visit

Matthias Maurer spent 175 days on the International Space Station ISS, where he was responsible for more than 100 scientific experiments. About one year ago, the ESA astronaut launched towards the ISS as a member of the Space-X crew Dragon Experience, landing back on Earth on May 1, 2022. The Saarland-born astronaut now told students about this great experience in the Aula of the RWTH Main Building. For Maurer, this was a return to the University after many years. Maurer earned his doctorate in materials science at RWTH’s Surface Engineering Institute in 2004, and he has been closely affiliated with his alma mater ever since: he even took three RWTH patches into space, designed like the mission emblems crew members wear on their spacesuits.

18 years later, the astronaut took the audience, largely physics students and students from the Institutes of Structural Mechanics and Lightweight Design (SLA), Advanced Mining Technologies (AMT), Textiltechnik (ITA), on a narrative journey into space. Maurer told this new generation of students about the fascination of space and the goosebumps he still gets when looking at photos from his journey into space.

“Being an astronaut is easy, but becoming an astronaut is very, very hard. But there are many opportunities for all of you to play an active role in space flight,” he says. Maurer’s path into space has not been a straight one. Initially, he had received a rejection letter; it required patience and determination on his part to get into the program. But then he finally achieved his dream of becoming an astronaut, and he even participated in a spacewalk outside the ISS.

The material scientist showed photos of his labs; especially the metal experiments were impressive. Even a seasoned astronaut has one dream, and he certainly shares it with some of the Aachen students: traveling to the moon and putting a foot on this mystical place.

Maurer is already involved in the European lunar program, and he encouraged the RWTH students first turn their attention to Cologne, where the German Space Agency is located, and then to going into space. A lunar training facility is currently being built in there, which will provide prospective astronauts – and even student teams – the opportunity to walk on a simulated moon, including a lunar dust simulant, lunar-like lighting, and simulated weightlessness.

The Moon – A Research Focus at RWTH

The moon is also an object of research here at RWTH, as demonstrated by the presentation of the MoonFibre and MoonFactory research projects. SLA, ITA, and AMT have joined forces to investigate the mining and processing of regolith on the moon. SLA, ITA, and AMT have joined forces to investigate the mining and processing of regolith on the moon. However, these are not the only space-related activities at RWTH.

During Matthias Maurer’s visit to RWTH, there was also a presentation on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), a state-of-the-art particle physics detector operating on the ISS, whose successor, the AMS-100, is currently being developed by an international team of researchers, including scientists from RWTH.

Furthermore, the iBOSS satellite module was presented, which evolved from a research project at SLA (2010 to 2018). The idea, which seeks to make space travel more sustainable, was brought to market by a sping-off company of the University. RWTH alumnus Maurer backs the idea behind the project: “In future, we need to avoid leaving debris in space, and we will have to start remove junk from space. We need new ideas in order to achieve this,” he said, telling a story of how the ISS had to perform a debris avoidance maneuver during his time there. The space station had to be moved into a lower orbit for the first time to avoid colliding with a field of debris. Maurer himself experienced the worrying incident, which sounds like taken from a Hollywood movie. Remembering this moment, he seems glad to have solid ground under his feet again here in the Main Building of RWTH Aachen University.

Matthias Maurer spent 175 days on the International Space Station ISS, where he was responsible for more than 100 scientific experiments. About one year ago, the ESA astronaut launched towards the ISS as a member of the Space-X crew Dragon Experience, landing back on Earth on May 1, 2022. The Saarland-born astronaut now told students about this great experience in the Aula of the RWTH Main Building. For Maurer, this was a return to the University after many years. Maurer earned his doctorate in materials science at RWTH’s Surface Engineering Institute in 2004, and he has been closely affiliated with his alma mater ever since: he even took three RWTH patches into space, designed like the mission emblems crew members wear on their spacesuits.

18 years later, the astronaut took the audience, largely physics students and students from the Institutes of Structural Mechanics and Lightweight Design (SLA), Advanced Mining Technologies (AMT), Textiltechnik (ITA), on a narrative journey into space. Maurer told this new generation of students about the fascination of space and the goosebumps he still gets when looking at photos from his journey into space.

“Being an astronaut is easy, but becoming an astronaut is very, very hard. But there are many opportunities for all of you to play an active role in space flight,” he says. Maurer’s path into space has not been a straight one. Initially, he had received a rejection letter; it required patience and determination on his part to get into the program. But then he finally achieved his dream of becoming an astronaut, and he even participated in a spacewalk outside the ISS.

The material scientist showed photos of his labs; especially the metal experiments were impressive. Even a seasoned astronaut has one dream, and he certainly shares it with some of the Aachen students: traveling to the moon and putting a foot on this mystical place.

Maurer is already involved in the European lunar program, and he encouraged the RWTH students first turn their attention to Cologne, where the German Space Agency is located, and then to going into space. A lunar training facility is currently being built in there, which will provide prospective astronauts – and even student teams – the opportunity to walk on a simulated moon, including a lunar dust simulant, lunar-like lighting, and simulated weightlessness.

The Moon – A Research Focus at RWTH

The moon is also an object of research here at RWTH, as demonstrated by the presentation of the MoonFibre and MoonFactory research projects. SLA, ITA, and AMT have joined forces to investigate the mining and processing of regolith on the moon. SLA, ITA, and AMT have joined forces to investigate the mining and processing of regolith on the moon. However, these are not the only space-related activities at RWTH.

During Matthias Maurer’s visit to RWTH, there was also a presentation on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), a state-of-the-art particle physics detector operating on the ISS, whose successor, the AMS-100, is currently being developed by an international team of researchers, including scientists from RWTH.

Furthermore, the iBOSS satellite module was presented, which evolved from a research project at SLA (2010 to 2018). The idea, which seeks to make space travel more sustainable, was brought to market by a sping-off company of the University. RWTH alumnus Maurer backs the idea behind the project: “In future, we need to avoid leaving debris in space, and we will have to start remove junk from space. We need new ideas in order to achieve this,” he said, telling a story of how the ISS had to perform a debris avoidance maneuver during his time there. The space station had to be moved into a lower orbit for the first time to avoid colliding with a field of debris. Maurer himself experienced the worrying incident, which sounds like taken from a Hollywood movie. Remembering this moment, he seems glad to have solid ground under his feet again here in the Main Building of RWTH Aachen University.