Samantha Cristoforetti will be the first European woman to command the International Space Station

After Luca Parmitano, another Italian in command of the ISS.“Samantha has proven herself to be a highly competent and trustworthy leader.”

The Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will be commander of the International Space Station during Expedition 68, which will depart from Florida in 2022.As a member of the Crew-4 crew, it will be the third time that a European astronaut will fly on a private shuttle – the Crew Dragon SpaceX –  together with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines.This will be Cristoforetti's second space mission, who will become the first European woman to command the ISS.

Samantha Cristofororetti back in space

After the first mission Future which saw it go well 200 days in space between 2014 and 2015, the Italian astronaut will therefore return to the International Space Station, this time as commander, after the experience of Luca Parmitano in 2019.“Returning to the International Space Station to represent Italy and Europe is already an honor in itself,” said Samantha Cristoforetti in a note released byHex.“The appointment to the position of commander is a further reason for professional satisfaction.I will humbly seek to draw on the experience I have acquired in space and on Earth to lead my crew of exceptional people."

“Samantha has proven herself to be one highly competent and trustworthy leader during the Neemo23 mission of the NASA, as well as in many other activities.Her experience and way of working make her a valuable asset for ESA and our partners and I am sure she will represent us well during her mission in space,” said Frank De Winne, the first European commander of the International Space Station .

The new selections are underway

The appointment of Samantha Cristoforetti comes at a rather indicative moment in our country, in which we still find ourselves discussing gender equality.David Parker, director of ESA's human and robotic exploration, underlined the importance of this decision:“Like many of our active astronauts, Samantha balances a demanding career and caring for her family, embracing both challenges with the full support of ESA.In recent months Samantha has often encouraged anyone dreams of being an astronaut and meet the minimum requirements to come forward and participate in the selection."