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 |
| Missions |
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Mission insignia
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Samantha Cristoforetti (born 26 April 1977) is an amazing Italian astronaut, a former pilot, and an engineer. She works for the European Space Agency (ESA). Samantha was the second woman from ESA to fly into space and the very first from Italy! She holds the record for the longest continuous spaceflight by a European astronaut, which lasted 199 days and 16 hours. She also commanded ISS Expedition 68 in 2022.
In December 2021, Politico Europe recognized her as one of Europe's most influential people. They called her a "dreamer" for her inspiring work.
Contents
Early Life and Space Dreams
Samantha Cristoforetti was born in Milan, Italy, in 1977. She grew up in a beautiful valley called Val di Sole in Trentino. As a child, she loved watching Star Trek: The Original Series. Later, as a teenager, she enjoyed Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. These shows really sparked her interest in exploring space. She even said that Star Trek helped guide her path to becoming an astronaut. When she was 18, Samantha traveled to the United States for an exchange program and attended United States Space Camp. This experience further fueled her dreams of space.
Education and Pilot Training
Samantha studied in Bolzano and Trento before earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich. 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 a fighter pilot in the Italian Air Force. She completed special pilot training and flew many different types of military aircraft. She has logged over 500 hours flying in the sky!
Becoming an Astronaut
In 2009, Samantha Cristoforetti was chosen by the European Space Agency to become an astronaut. She was selected from a huge group of 8,000 applicants, which shows how talented and dedicated she is!
First Mission: Expedition 42/43 Futura
On 3 July 2012, the European Space Agency announced that Samantha would go on a long mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2014.
Journey to the ISS
On 23 November 2014, Samantha and two other astronauts launched into space aboard the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft. They lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. About six hours later, their spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station. Samantha and her crewmates safely returned to Earth on 11 June 2015. She spent 199 days in space, setting a new record for the longest single mission by a woman at that time. This record was later broken by other astronauts.
Life and Work on the Space Station
Samantha's first mission to the ISS was named Futura. During her time there, she conducted many scientific experiments. These experiments helped scientists understand what happens to the human body during long stays in space. She also helped with the undocking of a supply spacecraft called ATV-5. Samantha even brought three Lego minifigures of herself and her crewmates to the ISS as a gift. She also participated in "Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut," an outreach program. This program encouraged students aged 8–12 to get fit while she trained in space.
Samantha was supposed to do some spacewalks, but unfortunately, some of her special equipment was lost. This happened when a rocket carrying supplies failed to launch in October 2014.
Fun in Space: Star Trek and Espresso
Samantha often showed her fun side while in space. She was photographed wearing shirts with references to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In April 2015, a special machine called ISSpresso arrived at the ISS. It was the first espresso machine designed for zero-gravity! On 3 May 2015, Samantha brewed the first cup of espresso in space. She even posted a picture on Twitter of herself wearing a Starfleet uniform while drinking it, referencing Star Trek: Voyager. After the death of Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock in Star Trek, she took a photo of herself giving the Vulcan salute from the ISS Cupola.
Samantha is also an amateur radio operator. She connected with many schools through the ARISS initiative (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station). She answered students' questions from space in both 2015 and 2022.
In 2017, the European Space Agency started training with the China Manned Space Agency. This was to prepare for possible future missions to the Tiangong space station. Samantha and other ESA astronauts trained with their Chinese counterparts. They learned about survival, languages, and how to operate Chinese spacecraft. However, ESA later decided not to send its astronauts to China's space station.
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Samantha Cristoforetti wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit suit
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Samantha Cristoforetti demonstrating the first in-space operation of the rHEALTH ONE biomedical analyzer
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Cristoforetti in a Star Trek uniform in the ISS Cupola
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Samantha Cristoforetti in a Chinese pressure suit during a training session
Second Mission: Expedition 67/68 Minerva
Samantha Cristoforetti flew to the International Space Station for a second time in the spring of 2022. She traveled on the SpaceX Crew-4 mission aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission launched on 27 April 2022 and docked with the ISS later that same day. Samantha's second mission was named Minerva.
Spacewalk and Scientific Discoveries
Samantha was the first astronaut to make a TikTok video from the International Space Station! Many of her videos from space have been viewed millions of times. On 13 May 2022, she became the first astronaut to use the rHEALTH ONE. This is a very powerful biomedical analyzer in space. She showed how to load tiny drops of biological samples into the device. This technology helps scientists understand and treat medical conditions that astronauts might face in space.
On 21 July 2022, Samantha completed her first spacewalk. It lasted 7 hours and 5 minutes! She worked with astronaut Oleg Artemyev to set up the European Robotic Arm. Samantha was the first non-Russian astronaut to use the Orlan spacesuit since 2009.
Leading the Crew
Samantha took command of ISS Expedition 68 on 28 September 2022. She returned to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon Endurance on 14 October 2022, completing the SpaceX Crew-4 mission.
Underwater Training: NEEMO 23
Samantha Cristoforetti commanded the NEEMO mission 23 from 10 to 22 June 2019. This mission took place underwater, on the seafloor. It was a special training exercise to test new technologies and plans for future deep space and lunar exploration missions.
About Samantha's Life
Samantha Cristoforetti is very good with languages! She can speak Italian, English, German, French, Russian, and Chinese.
Samantha is married to a French engineer named Lionel Ferra. They have two children, a girl born in 2016 and a boy born in 2021.
In 2022, Samantha even appeared in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. She sent a special message from the International Space Station!
Awards and Recognition
- Italy
Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic on 6 March 2013 - Italy
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic on 16 July 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
