Roberto Vittori facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roberto Vittori
OMRI |
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| Born | 15 October 1964 |
| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Test Pilot |
| Space career | |
| ASI/ESA astronaut | |
| Rank |  Generale di Brigata Aerea (Air commodore), Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) |
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Time in space
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35d 12h 26m |
| Selection | 1998 ESA Group |
| Missions | Soyuz TM-34/TM-33, Soyuz TMA-6/TMA-5, STS-134 |
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Mission insignia
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Roberto Vittori is an Italian astronaut and a former officer in the Italian Air Force. He was born on October 15, 1964, in Viterbo, Italy. He has flown on three space missions, visiting the International Space Station (ISS) twice. He was also the last non-American astronaut to fly on a Space Shuttle mission.
Contents
Roberto Vittori's Early Life and Training
Roberto Vittori joined the Italian Air Force Academy in 1989. After graduating, he trained as a pilot in the United States. He flew the Panavia Tornado aircraft for the Italian Air Force.
Becoming a Test Pilot
In 1995, Vittori graduated from the United States Naval Test Pilot School. He was the top student in his class. After this, he worked at the Italian Test Center. Here, he helped develop the new European aircraft, the EF2000.
Vittori has flown over 1,700 hours in more than 40 different types of aircraft. These include planes like the F-104, F-18, and Tornado.
Joining the European Astronaut Corps
In August 1998, Roberto Vittori was chosen by the ESA to join the European Astronaut Corps. He then went to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for training. After his training, he worked on various technical tasks for NASA's Astronaut Office.
Space Missions
Roberto Vittori has completed three exciting missions into space. He visited the International Space Station (ISS) twice on Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He also flew on an American Space Shuttle.
Soyuz TM-34 Mission (2002)
From April 25 to May 5, 2002, Vittori flew on the Soyuz TM-34 mission. This was a "taxi-flight" to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was a team effort between Russia, the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and ESA.
While on the ISS, Vittori worked with the crew. He helped with four European science experiments. The mission also delivered a new "lifeboat" spacecraft to the ISS. This lifeboat is important for the crew's safety in an emergency. Vittori returned to Earth on the Soyuz TM-33 spacecraft.
Soyuz TMA-6 Mission (2005)
On April 15, 2005, Vittori went to space again on the Soyuz TMA-6 mission. He returned to Earth on April 24 in the Soyuz TMA-5 capsule. This made him the first European astronaut to visit the ISS twice!
During this mission, he did experiments on how astronauts' arms get tired in space. He also studied how plant seeds grow, which could help with food in space.
Art in Space
On this mission, Vittori also took a painting by artist George Pusenkoff into space. The painting was called Single Mona Lisa (1:1). He took photos of it on the ISS. This was part of a project called "Mona Lisa Travels." It connected science and art, just like Leonardo da Vinci did. The painting was rolled up to fit in the spacecraft. Vittori brought it back to Earth on April 25, 2005.
STS-134 Space Shuttle Mission (2011)
In 2011, Vittori was a mission specialist on NASA's Space Shuttle mission STS-134. This was one of the last Space Shuttle flights ever. He was the very last non-American astronaut to fly on the Space Shuttle.
Personal Life
Roberto Vittori has three sons.
Gallery
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Vittori participates in training exercises for the STS-134 mission.
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Vittori in the rear station of a NASA T-38 trainer jet.
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Vittori (right) with fellow ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli aboard the ISS.
See also
In Spanish: Roberto Vittori para niños
