Issued by:
Thomas Pesquet is to be the first French astronaut to serve as commander of the International Space Station – a decision he tells RFI that is a testament to France’s growing space, and in Europe, in human space flights.
“I am fortunate to be chosen as the first Frenchman in charge of a space vehicle,” Pesquet said after Tuesday ‘s announcement. “While it’ s good for me, it ‘s also known to everyone.”
The 43-year-old European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut will be at the helm of the ISS for a month near the end of its second mission in its sixth month, codenamed Alpha, which will explode on April 22nd.
Following in the footsteps of ESA astronauts Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst and Luca Parmitano, Pesquet is the fourth European to hold the position of ISS commander.
The commander is responsible for the safety of the crew and the space station, as well as ensuring the effectiveness of the on-board scientific experiments. Working in partnership with land control, they are the last voice in the on-board management chain.
“It’s like a ship,” Pesquet told RFI. “After God, there is only one master on board.”
More than a hundred scientific experiments await Pesquet aboard the ISS, a specialized microgravity research laboratory. Four “off-vehicle” space routes are also scheduled, the most important of which will be the installation of new solar panels.
Pesquet will also be the first ESA astronaut to fly aboard the Dragon, a commercial spacecraft capsule developed by SpaceX that will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida.
He will be joined by astronauts Nasa Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide.
Driving diversity
News of Pesquet’s command comes as the ESA seeks “greater diversity” in its first astronaut recruitment campaign in 11 years. As part of the program, he wants “parastronauts” – astronauts with physical disabilities.
“We’re looking towards the Moon – and Mars… We need some great astronauts in the future,” said ESA chief Jan Woerner. “To go further than we have ever been before, we need to look beyond what we have ever done before. ”
Six permanent staff and 20 reserves will be selected as ESA’s next generation of astronauts. Women are “strongly encouraged” to apply.
So far, the ESA has sent two women into space: Frenchwoman Claudie Haigneré and Italian Samantha Cristoforetti.