His mission is about to enter the final phase, with a return to Earth expected around by (and no later than) mid-October. And Samantha Cristoforetti, ESA’s Italian astronaut, adds a new record, to all those already achieved during the current mission: soon she will fill the role of commander of the International Space Station for the last weeks in orbit, taking over from the crew mate of the Expedition 67, Oleg Artemijev.
Cristoforetti, the first European woman in command of the ISS, talks about herself on social media: this is how the washing machine is made and how menstruation in space is managed
CATERINA STAMIN
Since the beginning of her mission, Minerva, in April 2022, Samantha has been in charge of the United States Orbital Segment (USOS), overseeing the activities in the US, European, Japanese and Canadian modules and components of the Station. With the new role, she will become the fifth European commander of the Space Station, following in the footsteps of former ESA astronauts Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst, Luca Parmitano and Thomas Pesquet. She will also become the first European woman to fill this position: “I am honored by my appointment as commander”, says Samantha “and I look forward to drawing on the experience I have gained in space and on Earth to lead a very strong team into orbit. to be able”.
«The choice of Samantha as commander clearly demonstrates the trust and value that our international partners place in ESA astronauts. During the Minerva mission, you contributed greatly to the Station’s scientific and operational successes and the intense work will now continue under your command, ”says ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
«Congratulations to Samantha», proudly comments Giorgio Saccoccia, President of the Italian Space Agency. «Your appointment is a source of particular pride for Italy and for Europe. As the first European woman to hold the position of commander of the International Space Station, Samantha will once again be an inspiration to the younger generation. An assignment of this value entrusted for the second time to an astronaut of Italian nationality is also the confirmation of the role and importance that our country plays in the exploration of space and in international space activities. Best wishes Samantha from the whole Italian Space Agency and from your fellow citizens! ».
Samantha will officially become commander after a traditional handover ceremony centered on the symbolic passing of a key by the previous commander. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday 28 September 2022 and will be broadcast live from the International Space Station on ESA Web TV. David Parker, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotics Exploration, believes that “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 is once again pushing the boundaries of female representation in the space sector forward.
The full title of this role is Commander of the crew of the International Space Station. Command positions are awarded on the basis of joint decisions made by NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe) and CSA (Canada). This position is critical to the continued success of the Space Station. While it is the flight directors in the control centers who oversee the planning and execution of the Station’s operations, the Station commander is responsible for the work and well-being of the crew in orbit, must maintain effective communication with the teams on the ground and coordinates the actions of the crew in case of emergency situations. As Samantha takes over, one of her main tasks will be to ensure an effective handover to the next crew.