Samantha Cristoforetti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samantha Cristoforetti
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Cristoforetti in 2013, before her first flight (Expedition 42)
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| Born | 26 April 1977 Milan, Italy
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| Status | Active |
| Nationality |  Italy |
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| Space career | |
| ESA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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370 days, 5 hours, 45 minutes |
| Selection | 2009 ESA Group |
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Total EVAs
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1 |
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Total EVA time
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7 hours, 5 minutes |
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Mission insignia
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Samantha Cristoforetti is an Italian astronaut from the European Space Agency (ESA). She was also a pilot in the Italian Air Force and an engineer. Samantha is the second woman from ESA to go into space, and the first from Italy.
She holds the record for the longest time a European astronaut has spent in space without interruption. This was 199 days and 16 hours. She also held the record for the longest single space flight by a woman for a while. This record was later broken by Peggy Whitson and then by Christina Koch. On September 28, 2022, Samantha became the commander of ISS Expedition 68 on the International Space Station.
In December 2021, a European news organization called Politico Europe recognized her as one of the most influential people in Europe.
Contents
Early Life and Dreams
Samantha Cristoforetti was born in Milan, Italy, in 1977. She grew up in a town called Malè in Trentino. When she was a child, she loved Star Trek: The Original Series. As a teenager, she enjoyed Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. These shows made her very interested in space exploration. She even said that Star Trek helped guide her to become an astronaut.
When she was 18, Samantha went to the United States as part of an exchange program. During this time, she attended United States Space Camp, which is a special camp where kids learn about space.
Education and Military Career
Samantha studied in Bolzano and Trento in Italy. She earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich in Germany. She also studied in France and Russia. Later, she graduated in Aeronautics Sciences from the Accademia Aeronautica in Italy. This made her one of the first women to become a lieutenant and fighter pilot in the Italian Air Force.
As part of her pilot training, she flew different types of military aircraft. She has spent over 500 hours flying planes like the SF-260 and the T-37.
Joining the European Space Agency
In 2009, the European Space Agency (ESA) chose Samantha Cristoforetti to be an astronaut. She was one of only a few people selected from about 8,000 applicants.
First Space Mission: Expedition 42/43
On July 3, 2012, ESA announced that Samantha would go on a long mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2014.
On November 23, 2014, Samantha and two other astronauts launched into space aboard the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft. They launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. About six hours later, their spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station. Samantha and her crewmates returned safely to Earth on June 11, 2015. She spent 199 days in space, which set a new record for the longest single mission for a woman at that time. This record was later broken by other astronauts.
Samantha's first mission to the ISS was called Futura. During her time there, she did many scientific experiments. These experiments helped scientists learn about what happens to the human body during long stays in space. She also helped with the undocking of a supply spacecraft called ATV-5.
She also took part in educational activities. In February 2015, she started a program called "Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut." This program encouraged students aged 8–12 to get fit while she was training in space. She also explored how algae could be a food source in space.
Samantha was supposed to do some spacewalks, but her special equipment was lost when a rocket failed in October 2014. Because of this, her spacewalks were canceled.
While on the ISS, Samantha showed her love for science fiction. She was photographed wearing shirts that referenced The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In April 2015, she installed the ISSpresso, which was the first espresso machine designed for space. On May 3, 2015, she made the first cup of espresso in space. She even posted a picture of herself on Twitter wearing a Starfleet uniform from Star Trek while drinking the coffee. After the actor Leonard Nimoy (who played Mr. Spock in Star Trek) passed away, she took a picture of herself giving the Vulcan salute from the ISS.
Samantha also used her amateur radio skills to talk to schools from space. She answered questions from students in 2015 and again in 2022.
On July 16, 2015, the President of Italy gave her the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. This is the highest honor in Italy.
In 2017, ESA started training with the China Manned Space Agency. Samantha and other ESA astronauts trained with Chinese astronauts. They learned about survival, languages, and how to operate Chinese spacecraft. However, in January 2023, ESA announced that its astronauts would not go to China's space station.
Second Space Mission: Expedition 67/68
Samantha Cristoforetti was chosen to fly to the International Space Station a second time in the spring of 2022. She flew on the SpaceX Crew-4 mission aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission launched on April 27, 2022, and docked with the ISS later that day. Samantha's second mission was named Minerva.
She became the first astronaut to make a TikTok video from the International Space Station. Some of her videos have been watched millions of times. On May 13, 2022, she was the first astronaut to use the rHEALTH ONE. This is a powerful machine that can analyze biological samples in space. This technology helps scientists understand and treat health issues that astronauts might face in space.
On July 21, 2022, Samantha completed her first spacewalk. It lasted 7 hours and 5 minutes. She worked with Russian astronaut Oleg Artemyev to set up the European Robotic Arm. Samantha was the first non-Russian astronaut to use the Russian Orlan spacesuit since 2009.
She became the commander of ISS Expedition 68 on September 28, 2022. She returned to Earth on October 14, 2022, completing the SpaceX Crew-4 mission.
NEEMO 23 Mission
From June 10 to June 22, 2019, Samantha Cristoforetti commanded the NEEMO mission 23. This mission took place on the seafloor. It tested new technologies and goals for future deep space and lunar explorations.
Personal Life
Samantha Cristoforetti is very good with languages. She can speak Italian, English, German, French, Russian, and Chinese.
She is married to Lionel Ferra, who is a French engineer. They have two children, a girl born in 2016 and a boy born in 2021.
In 2022, Samantha appeared in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. She sent a pre-recorded message from the International Space Station.
Awards and Honors
- Italy Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (March 6, 2013)
- Italy Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (July 16, 2015)
See also
In Spanish: Samantha Cristoforetti para niños
- A Beautiful Planet—a 2016 IMAX documentary film that shows Earth from space and features Samantha Cristoforetti.
- Italian Space Agency
- Women in space
