Parisian Metro riders enjoy a very high-tech commute thanks to space

Thanks to space, some Parisian Metro riders now enjoy a very high-tech commute. A satellite spin-off is paving the way for more comfortable journeys.

Tourists and locals alike are familiar with Metro Line One: traversing the length of the French capital, this underground line is the city’s busiest. More than 213 million journeys are made yearly on its 16.6 km track, which serves 25 stations.

What riders might not know is that, for the last year and a half, trains travelling along this route have been equipped with an advanced new cooling system. The technology used comes straight from space – thanks to ESA.

Typically, metro trains use large mechanical fans to keep the their electric power suppliers from overheating.

But, looking to create more room for passengers by reducing the space taken up by machinery, the French transportation company Alstom decided to turn to space, where they found a high-tech alternative.