As I write this (lundi 8 novembre)¹Monday, November 8, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet is on his way home from the International Space Station. As he journeys from space to the earth, let’s look at his journey.

Photo CC0 from www.pexels.com

From space to the earth

Back in April the French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and three other astronauts left Cape Canaveral in Florida for a trip to the International Space Station. During the night of Monday, November 8 to mardi, 9 novembre Pesquet will return to Earth abord a Dragon rocket … with broken toilets (so maybe everything already isn’t going well!).

“Le retour sur Terre [qui] devrait durer plusieurs heures”²The trip back to Earth [which] should last a few hours will end in “un amerrissage, une première pour Thomas. […] Lors de sa précédente mission […] en 2016-2017, le Français avait atterri dans les steppes kazakhes”³a water landing, a first for Thomas. During his last mission in 2016-2017, the Frenchman landed in the plains of Kazakstan.

While the lack of toilets is an inconvenience, it’s not a problem NASA can’t overcome. Les astronautes “portent en permanence des couches qui leur servent notamment pendant les sorties extra-véhiculaires“.⁴Astronauts are always wearing diapers that serve especially during space walks

Read more here.

What’s next for the astronaut?

According to this article:

“Après de rapides tests médicaux à Houston,⁵After some fast medical tests in Houston

l’astronaute français s’envolera pour Cologne,⁶the French astronaut will fly to Cologne (Germany)

où se trouve le Centre européen des astronautes.⁷home of the European Center for Astronauts

Durant trois semaines,⁸For three weeks,

il sera alors soumis à une batterie de tests scientifiques,⁹he’ll be subjected to a battery of scientific tests

destinés à observer l’effet d’un séjour long en orbite sur le corps humain.¹⁰intended to observe the effects on the human body of a long stay in orbit.

Cela ne l’empêchera pas de voir ses proches.¹¹None of which will prevent him from seeing his loved ones.

Puis l’astronaute prendra enfin un peu de vacances.”¹²Finally the astronaut will take some vacation.

Eurovision Jr.

As Pesquet and his peers made their way into space last spring, we here on Earth were getting ready for the latest edition of the great Eurovision Song Contest. I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t know until recently that there is also a junior edition.

And the latest edition of the 18-year old competition (first held in 2003) will take place in France! The host nation will be represented by 13 year old Enzo, finalist on the French edition of the singing competition The Voice Kids. Enzo will sing a song called TicTac “qui «oscille entre charleston vintage et pop d’aujourd’hui (…) une invitation à faire une pause pour profiter des choses simples loin de nos vies survoltées et hyperconnectées».¹³that oscillates between a vintage Charleston and today’s pop […] inviting us to pause in our overcharged and hyperconnected lives and take advantage of the simple things

Check it out here.

Embrasse-moi idiot

What more music? Click here for a fun 1985 hit from the French group Bill Baxter that will help you review last week’s vocabulary.

France’s 2016 Eurovision Submission!

How Did France do in the 2017 Eurovision Competition? Come Hear Their Song Choice!

12 Points for France! How Did France do in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest?

• 1
  Monday, November 8
• 2
  The trip back to Earth [which] should last a few hours
• 3
  a water landing, a first for Thomas. During his last mission in 2016-2017, the Frenchman landed in the plains of Kazakstan
• 4
  Astronauts are always wearing diapers that serve especially during space walks
• 5
  After some fast medical tests in Houston
• 6
  the French astronaut will fly to Cologne (Germany)
• 7
  home of the European Center for Astronauts
• 8
  For three weeks,
• 9
  he’ll be subjected to a battery of scientific tests
• 10
  intended to observe the effects on the human body of a long stay in orbit.
• 11
  None of which will prevent him from seeing his loved ones.
• 12
  Finally the astronaut will take some vacation.
• 13
  that oscillates between a vintage Charleston and today’s pop […] inviting us to pause in our overcharged and hyperconnected lives and take advantage of the simple things