German Chancellor Olaf Scholz listens to German astronauts Matthias Maurer and Alexander Gerst inside a model of the Columbus module at the Neutral Bouyancy Facility during a visit to the European Space Agency's Astronaut Center in Cologne, Germany, on September 1, 2023. Scholz is expected to learn about experiments on the International Space Station in the disciplines of material sciences, life sciences, technology and extraterrestrial science, as well as their benefits. Photo: IC