When Thomas Pesquet takes a look at agriculture

There are ordinary events that take on a whole new dimension when they happen while you are stuck in a tin can that can spin 408 kilometers from Earth. On August 21, 2021, among the science materials sent to the International Space Station, Thomas Bisket He discovers some unexpected package that fills him with joy: cheese!

And if we believe the photo he posted on the occasion, his Japanese partner Akihiko Hoshide shares his enthusiasm. On the occasion of this space event, we explored publications French astronaut To determine when he talks about the makers of the earth … from heaven.

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When we welcome a new cargo ship, their fridges are often full of science experiments, but this was a big surprise to us…cheese #MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/yKSywFiJlt

– Thomas Bisquet (@Thom_astro) August 21, 2021

Produce to feed

The fields appear very small when viewed from space. Except when an entire area is a large production area. This is the case southern Spain, covered with vegetable greenhouses.

This is also the case for the city Westland in the Netherlands which traditionally benefit from their particularly mild winter climate to specialize ingardening many years ago.

This is where we harvest a good portion of the Europeans: in the greenhouses of Westland and Ejido.
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Much of Europe, Westland and El Ejido is produced in greenhouses. #MissionAlpha #SDG2 https://t.co/A1hru9YYcT pic.twitter.com/XftPza7bSL

– Thomas Bisquet (@Thom_astro) August 12, 2021

The struggle for land

everywhere on earth, Earth Productivity remains a limiting factor for agriculture.

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fly over BoliviaThe French astronaut also noted that the layout of the new fields forms a star-studded check plate from Earth.

Thomas Pesquet also notes the effects of deforestation in Amazon.

The Amazon has become a symbol of the Earth’s ecological sanctuaries, but there is a lot more to the human footprint: from our activities in India, infrastructure and agriculture. #MissionAlpha https://t.co/y3Ejttw9Z1 pic.twitter.com/SpSMUtB9tx

– Thomas Bisquet (@Thom_astro) July 31, 2021

But Thomas Bisquet is also a fan of Venice, without forgetting to remember that its existence depends on the deforestation by the ancestors of the alders that form the support pillars.

Farming is where people eat

A global view shows that agriculture settles into the most hostile environments while remaining sustainable. Here, an example of an oasis in EgyptHeart-attracting irrigation system.

Pepper in the resort

Even if you haven’t eaten it yet, the cultures just aren’t down to earth. The International Space Station Her vegetables are also grown, in this case pepper. But this is not for seasoning dishes, it is just a scientific experiment on the behavior of plants in weightlessness.

Thomas Bisquet’s partner during this mission, the American astronaut Shane Kimbrough He’s more famous for his talents as a pilot than a gardener, but who knows if the profession will reveal itself?

One of the objectives of this mission is to gain a better understanding of vegetable cultivation through hydroponics, that is, without land, but here without water as well. Ultimately, the idea is to see how astronauts could feed themselves if they had to make a trip, about three-quarters of the trip for the fastest, to Mars and eventually settle there.

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Space cookies

wait for top chef On the space station, astronauts rejoice with “space cakes,” which, as in Earth parlance for hallucinogenic cakes, don’t mean, but literally space cakes. In this case, chocolate and strawberry pie.

food colors

Go back to the land where Thomas Bisquet photographed the salt marshes camargewhich takes on a beautiful red color, or Andes Mountains, which are then colored with shades of green.

There are certain colors that immediately catch your eye because they stand out against the landscape, such as the bright pink of the salt marshes of the Camargue.

Some colors immediately catch your eye from up here – like the bright pink in the salt marshes of the Camargue pic.twitter.com/oLwGuQEVYY

– Thomas Bisquet (@Thom_astro) August 21, 2021

Beirut port explosion

fly over Beirut, Thomas Pesquet photographing the harbor and the aftermath of the terrible explosion of 2,750 tons of agricultural ammonites on August 4, 2020.

Memories of Thomas Bisquet

Finally, two memories of Thomas Bisquet. One for the agricultural landscape of the triangle between DeepAnd Rawan And Le Havre, where most of his family belongs.

And the other memory of Thomas Bisket It is his last meal on Earth on April 22, 2021. While waiting for the one who will celebrate his return to land. But we can’t help but notice, once again, that’s a lot of cheese, and it’s all the same.