European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is the first European woman to command the International Space Station, replacing Expedition 67 crew member Oleg Artemyev.
Since beginning her Minerva mission in April 2022, Samantha has served as the United States Orbital Segment (USOS) leader, overseeing activities on the Station’s modules and components in the US, Europe, Japan and Canada.
Upon taking up her new role, she became ESA’s fifth person, following in the footsteps of the agency’s previous astronauts Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst, Luca Parmitano and Thomas Pesquet.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday (28).
In a statement, Samantha said: “I am honored to be appointed to the position of Commander […] and I look forward to building on the experience I’ve gained in space and on Earth to lead a very capable team into orbit.”
ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, David Parker, said, “Samantha’s wealth of knowledge and experience makes her an excellent candidate for this role. As the first European woman to hold the position of commander, she once again pushes the boundaries of female representation in the space sector.”
Who is Samantha Cristoforetti?
The 45-year-old astronaut was the first person to make an espresso in space. She also holds the record for consecutive days spent in orbit, among all ESA astronauts, men and women, and the woman with the most consecutive days in space, ahead of American Sunita Williams.
Samantha spent 199 and 18 hours in space, Sunita’s previous record being 194 days and 19 hours.
In September 2015, she was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in a ceremony held by the Italian Aeronautica Militare.
The Italian also killed the curiosity of some netizens by posting a video doing Yoga in space. Check out:
What happens when you try to do yoga in #SPACE? 🚀 Here’s @AstroSamantha the astronaut doing #CosmicKids on the ISS! 💫
Watch the whole video here: https://t.co/gn7GomHmxT
Thank you to the amazing team @ESA for this incredible opportunity! 🧑🚀 #MissionMinerva #SpaceWeek pic.twitter.com/0nOiXwZa6W
— Cosmic Kids (@CosmicKidsYoga) September 27, 2022
Source: CNN Brasil
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
