Astronaut training courses rock ⛏⁣ ⁣ Our fellow space explorers at the @EuropeanSpaceAgency have developed a training course for astronauts called Pangaea. The course teaches vital skills in geology and astrobiology to Astronauts on Earth, allowing them to be effective field scientists on the Moon and beyond.⁣ ⁣ @NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson recently took the Pangaea course, studying lunar- and Martian-like geology. As we move forward with the #Artemis missions, courses like this will be critical for the success of long-duration space travel.⁣ ⁣ Image descriptions:⁣ ⁣ 1: NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson analyzes a rock macroscopically. In the photo's foreground, many rock samples, wires, a lamp, and a cup sit on a desk. Stephanie wears a green shirt, watch, and glasses.⁣ ⁣ 2: ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst examines the characteristics of a rock sample in the Betterbach canyon. Alexander wears a green shirt and yellow helmet, holding a grey pickaxe. The Bletterbach canyon has a rocky base with a steam going through it; there is shrubbery and trees on either side of the canyon and trees on top of the walls.⁣ 3: NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson picks rock samples in Bletterbach canyon with course instructor Nicolas Mangold. The Bletterbach canyon has a rocky base with a stream going through it; there is shrubbery and trees on either side of the canyon and trees on top of the walls. Stephanie and Nicolas are wearing green shirts and yellow helmets.⁣ ⁣ 4: Stephanie Wilson (NASA) and astronaut Alexander Gerst (ESA) use magnifying glasses to recognize some of the minerals in igneous rocks. There are hundreds of rock samples on tables in the foreground and background of the photo. Stephanie, Alexander, and the instructor wear green shirts.⁣ ⁣ Credit: ESA / V. Crobu⁣ ⁣ #Geology #ThatRocks #Astronaut #NASA #EuropeanSpaceAgency #Moon #Mars