While the Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen was on the International Space Station, ISS, he received a message that two satellites might collide, which could affect the space station.
He tells this in front of King Frederik and Queen Mary at a room debate at Sweden’s largest technical university, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, on Monday.
Together with his colleagues Christer Fuglesang and Marcus Wandt, Andreas Mogensen tells about the scariest moment during the six-month space journey.
– We just had to cross our fingers and hope that nothing happened, says Andreas Mogensen about the two satellites, which had been spotted just six meters apart.
If the two satellites had hit each other, it would have created a cloud of space debris that could land in the space station’s orbit.
King Frederik’s eyes in particular were fixed on the stage during the debate.
– Fortunately, nothing happened, says Andreas Mogensen with a smile, followed by light laughter from the guests.
It was precisely the talk of space junk that led Andreas Mogensen to his story.
Because precisely one of the things that particularly interests the three astronauts on stage in relation to space technology is how to get rid of space waste in the future.
On March 12, Andreas Mogensen landed in the sea off the coast of Florida after six months in space on the International Space Station (ISS).
Here he has carried out experiments for researchers and companies.
The royal visit to the Swedish university centers on Danish-Swedish cooperation on technology with space research as the focal point.
King Frederik has never hidden his fascination with space, and the meeting with the Danish astronaut on Monday is not the first of its kind.
The two have previously stood side by side, where King Frederik has told, among other things, how he is “horribly fascinated” by space and thinks that as a Dane you should be proud of Andreas Mogensen’s progress.
Andreas Mogensen’s almost 200 days in space ran over Christmas, which he had to celebrate without his family and the Danish traditions. In the middle of the Christmas peace, there was also time for a call to King Frederik.
With the king’s children looking over his shoulder, King Frederik Andreas Mogensen wished Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year on a video call.
/ritzau/
2024-05-06 14:59:23
#Andreas #Mogensen #shares #terrifying #moment #room #royal #couple