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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Lifestyle

Coldplay's single from ISS 'tries to find the astronaut in all of us' - Thomas Pesquet

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, a member of the SpaceX's Crew Dragon (Illustration photo) © AFP/European Space Agency

Pesquet spoke with the British group Coldplay from the International Space Station (ISS).

"We sent you some music, because right now we aren't able to play for anyone on Earth, so we thought we would just play for you," singer Chris Martin said before playing the song late Thursday.

"This is the premiere for the whole... galaxy," he added, saying the song was about "trying to find the astronaut in all of us, the person who can do amazing things."

The band took the opportunity to quiz Pesquet about his time on the station, including how he unwinds.

"In the evenings when everyone goes to bed... I put on my headset and play some music and just float... it's really cool, you feel completely free," Pesquet said.

Asked by guitarist and sci-fi fan Guy Berryman what movies get wrong about being on a space station, Pesquet said the biggest mistake was how long it took to don a space suit and go outside.

"In the movies, it just happens... space suit on, boom you're outside," he said. "In reality... it takes hours to prepare."

Coldplay, who have quit touring over environmental concerns, found common ground with Pesquet as he described his perspective from space.

ESA French astronaut Thomas Pesquet on 30 April 2021.
ESA French astronaut Thomas Pesquet on 30 April 2021. AFP - -

"It's amazing how small and finite and fragile the Earth is," he said. "It's a ball, it's self-contained. Everything we have is here, there's nothing else. You have to use your resources wisely."

Pesquet then donned some sunglasses, adding they were necessary in the viewing pod.

"Now you look more like a rock star than we ever did!" Martin said, laughing.

Has he seen any strange lifeforms out there, the singer asked with a grin.

"Not yet, but I keep an eye for them... I keep looking."

Coldplay also had an imaginative launch for the last album, 2019's Everyday Life, for which they placed ads in the classified sections of newspapers around the world, including in the local newspapers of their home towns in Britain.

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