Warum braucht es Menschen auf dem Mond, Alexander Gerst? | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur

For the first time in 54 years, humans traveled to the moon in April. The euphoria was immense. But does humanity really still need astronauts in the 21st century – or are they just expensive symbolic figures in a political race? Olivia Röllin talks with astronaut Alexander Gerst. Topics in this episode: 00:00 Why was living in a shared apartment the best preparation for life in space? 11:50 How did you become an astronaut? 19:37 What's it like to look at Earth from space? 26:18 Why does the ESA want to go to the moon? 33:15 Wouldn't robots be cheaper and better in space? 41:20 Is there a threat of military buildup in space? 52:00 What is your most important mission? Alexander Gerst, astronaut and geophysicist, has been to the International Space Station (ISS) twice, spending almost a year in space. Now, the 50-year-old German is on the shortlist for the "Artemis IV" mission, which aims to send humans to the moon starting in 2028. And this time, they are supposed to stay longer. What exactly does his employer, the European Space Agency (ESA), of which Switzerland is a member, want to achieve on the moon? And why does it even want to send a separate mission there, called "Argonaut"? And what does it mean when space is increasingly militarized and co-controlled by private actors like Elon Musk's SpaceX? A discussion moderated by Olivia Röllin about the fascination with the unimaginable, the limits of what is possible – and the question of whether we can still afford manned spaceflight in times of climate crisis, wars, and tight budgets. Philosophy Hour, April 26, 2026 ____________________ ✨ New conversations with exciting guests every week 💬 Do you have questions, suggestions, or feedback? Then write to us at: [email protected] Program Director: 🎥 Director: Joscha Seehausen Editor: Christian Walther Production: Suprsteady GmbH, Cologne Head of Production: Judith Hardegger SRF 2026 ____________________ Subscribe to SRF Kultur Sternstunden on YouTube 🔔 https://www.youtube.com/srfkultur?sub... More culture on SRF 👉 https://www.srf.ch/kultur ____________________ "Sternstunde Philosophie" fosters in-depth and critical exchange of ideas and delves into the pressing questions of our time. "Sternstunde Philosophie" spans a wide range, from current socio-political issues to fundamental philosophical questions: Who is responsible for what, what constitutes human freedom, and what determines the meaning of our lives? Our guests are prominent figures from science, culture, politics, and business – voices that stimulate thought and reflect on and contextualize current events. ____________________ Hosted by: Barbara Bleisch   / barbarableisch   Olivia Röllin   / oliviaroellin   Yves Bossart   / bossart_yves   Wolfram Eilenberger ____________________ #SRFKultur #SRFKulturSternstunden #SRFSternstunde #Philosophy #AlexanderGerst #SpaceTravel #Artemis #Astronaut #SRF #Culture