Samantha Cristoforetti

Samantha Cristoforetti
Cristoforetti in 2013, before her first flight (Expedition 42)
Born (1977-04-26) 26 April 1977 (age 47)
Milan, Italy
StatusActive
Nationality Italy
Alma mater
Occupations
SpouseLionel Ferra
Children2
Space career
ASI/ESA astronaut
Time in space
370 days, 5 hours, 45 minutes
Selection2009 ESA Group
Total EVAs
1
Total EVA time
7 hours, 5 minutes
Missions
Mission insignia
Websitesamanthacristoforetti.esa.int

Samantha Cristoforetti OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [saˈmanta kristofoˈretti]; born 26 April 1977) is an Italian European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, former Italian Air Force pilot and engineer. She is the second of two women sent into space by ESA and the first from Italy. Cristoforetti holds the record for the longest uninterrupted spaceflight by a European astronaut (199 days, 16 hours),[1][2][3] and she held the record for the longest single space flight by a woman until this was broken by Peggy Whitson in June 2017,[4][5][6][7] and later by Christina Koch.[8] She took command of ISS Expedition 68 on 28 September 2022.[9][10]

In December 2021, Politico Europe named her as one of the "dreamers" in its annual list of the 28 most influential people in Europe.[11]

  1. ^ Klotz, Irene (9 June 2015). "Space Station Crew Returning to Earth After Delay". Space.com. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  2. ^ O'Brien, Joe; Sherden, Amy (8 July 2015). "Record-breaking astronaut becomes internet sensation". ABC News. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Astronaut Biography: Samantha Cristoforetti". www.spacefacts.de. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Astronaut Biography: Peggy Whitson". www.spacefacts.de. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  5. ^ Dutch astronaut loses space record to Italy's Cristoforetti Archived 7 January 2016 at archive.today, Nltimes.nl; accessed 24 June 2015.
  6. ^ "3 Space Station Astronauts Safely Return to Earth". The New York Times. 11 June 2015. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Samantha beats ESA astronaut single-duration record – Outpost 42". Outpost 42. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Christina Koch Completes 328-Day Mission in Space – Space Station". blogs.nasa.gov. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  9. ^ ESA biography
  10. ^ ESA [@esa] (28 May 2021). "ESA astronaut @AstroSamantha Cristoforetti is named to serve as @Space_Station commander on Expedition 68, following an in-principle agreement by international partners on 19 May. As part of #Crew4, Samantha will fly on a @SpaceX #CrewDragon in 2022 👉https://t.co/XWin3BnInK https://t.co/kMtXswUvUD" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ "Samantha Cristoforetti". Politico. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.