ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is expected to serve as International Space Station commander for Expedition 68a, following an in-principle agree

Commanding role for ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti

submited by

Style Pass

2021-05-28 14:00:08

ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is expected to serve as International Space Station commander for Expedition 68a, following an in-principle agreement by international partners on 19 May, pending consolidation of the Space Station’s operational plans and launch dates.

As a member of Crew-4, Samantha will be launched with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines to the Station from Florida, USA, on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2022. This will be Samantha’s second space mission and the experience she brings will stand her in good stead as Europe’s first female in command of a Station expedition.

“Returning to the International Space Station to represent Europe is an honour in itself,” says Samantha. “I am humbled by my appointment to the position of commander and look forward to drawing on the experience I’ve gained in space and on Earth to lead a very capable team in orbit.”

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher says, “Samantha’s nomination to the role of International Space Station commander is an inspiration to a whole generation currently applying to join ESA's astronaut corps. I cannot wait to meet the final candidates and I take this opportunity to once again encourage women to apply.”