ISS Commander shows support for University of Leicester
The Commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Alexei Ovchinin who took over command in July 2019 has thrilled students and academics at the University of Leicester by taking a picture of himself along with the University logo.
The picture was taken in the European Space Agency (ESA) Cupola module, the multi-windowed viewing platform in which ISS crew can observe docking and rendezvous with visiting cargo craft, control the robotic arm and just take in the spectacular views.
Martin Barstow, University of Leicester Pro-Vice chancellor Strategic Science Projects, said:
“It is great to see our long-standing contribution to space exploration recognised by the International Space Station crew. As we approach the 60th anniversary of Leicester space research in 2020 we look forward to seeing this grow through our ambitious Space Park Leicester development.”
The photograph was taken earlier this week just after a very busy station schedule, including multiple vehicle docking operations as well as the recent arrival of a new crew, including ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano.
This unique opportunity was facilitated through the University of Leicester and National Space Academy’s long-standing involvement with ESA’s space exploration programme.