Published on 21 December 2018
ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst returned to Earth on 20 December 2018, after six and a half months on the International Space Station.
Before leaving the station, a privileged observation post located 400 km from Earth, he sent a crucial message to the decision makers gathered at the Climate Summit in Katowice, as well as to all of us.
Alexander Gerst
Image of Lake Dukan in Iraq taken from the International Space Station. Copyright ESA / NASA
Touched by the beauty and fragility of our planet and taking the ISS as a successful example of international cooperation, he wants to bear witness of the need to act to minimize the effects of climate change.
In the wake of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, he tweeted this image of Lake Dukan in northeastern Iraq, which evokes a Christmas tree, accompanied by the question "What is planet earth trying to tell us? "
We chose this image as a greeting card and we join Alexander Gerst in wishing you a very merry Christmas and a beautiful 2019 year, filled with challenges, sprinkled with discoveries and enriched with commitments to help our planet stay as beautiful.
More information: Space in images