ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst from Germany is the second of ESA's new generation of astronauts scheduled to fly into space.<br /><br />He'll be launching on 28 May from Baikonur in a Russian Soyuz capsule with two fellow crew members for a long-duration stay onboard the International Space Station. <br /><br />Alexander was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009. He joined ESA in September 2009 and completed Astronaut Basic Training in November 2010.<br /><br />In September 2011, Alexander was assigned to fly to the International Space Station on a six-month mission. He will serve as a flight engineer for Expeditions 40 and 41. His comprehensive research programme will include a wide variety of European and international science experiments.<br /><br />This video presents Alexander's mission: the Blue Dot mission, and includes interviews with Alexander Gerst in English and German.
