ESA astronaut returns to Lanzarote

Spanish astronaut Pablo Álvarez has met up with Cabildo President Oswaldo Betancort to stress the importance of Lanzarote’s Geopark.

Álvarez, of the ESA (European Space Agency), was accompanied by Loredana Bessone, co-ordinator of the ESA’s Pangaea (Planetary Analogue Geological & Astrobiological Exercise for Astronauts) programme.

The Pangaea programme has already carried out several exercises on Lanzarote, intended to prepare astronauts for conditions on the Moon and Mars. The island’s volcanic landscapes and caves are regarded as ideal for preparing for geological explorations in space.

Álvarez said “Lanzarote is the best place on earth to learn how to be the eyes and hands of scientists on the Moon and Mars”.