At the end of September 2022, Samantha Cristoforetti will become the first European woman to command the International Space Station (ISS). When she assumes her new position, she will be the fifth commander from the European Space Agency (ESA) of the station, following in the footsteps of previous astronauts Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst, Luca Parmitano, and Thomas Pesquet.
“I am very honored by my appointment as commander and look forward to leveraging the experience I have gained both in space and on Earth to lead a highly qualified team in orbit,” Samantha said.
On September 28, 2022, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will receive the symbolic key to the International Space Station from the current commander, cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev.
Since the start of her Minerva mission in April 2022, this Italian astronaut has served as the head of the United States Orbital Segment (USOS) on the ISS, overseeing activities in the American, European, Japanese, and Canadian modules and components.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher stated, “The selection of Samantha for the commander position clearly demonstrates the faith and value that our international partners place on ESA astronauts. Throughout her Minerva mission, she has made significant contributions to the scientific and operational successes of the station, and I anticipate that it will continue to thrive under her command.”
Samantha will officially become commander after a traditional handover ceremony involving the symbolic key handover by the previous commander, her fellow crew member on the current ISS Expedition 67: cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of the Russian space agency (Roscosmos).
TV Broadcast Ceremony
The actual ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, and will be broadcast live from the International Space Station through ESA Web TV.
David Parker, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, believes that “Samantha’s wealth of knowledge and experience make her an excellent candidate for this position. As the first European woman to hold the position of commander, she once again pushes the boundaries of female representation in the space sector.”
The full title of this position is “Commander of the International Space Station crew.” This appointment is made based on joint decisions by NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). ESA is represented in this selection process by the Head of the European Astronaut Centre and Director of the ISS Program, Frank De Winne.
“I am delighted that the scheduling has changed in such a way that Samantha will once again take on the role of commander,” Frank noted. “She has our full support to carry out this important leadership role. There is no doubt that her management will ensure the continued success of the mission.”
This position is vital for the ongoing success of the space station. While flight directors in mission control centers decide on the planning and execution of station operations, the station commander is responsible for the performance and well-being of the crew in orbit, maintaining effective communication with teams on Earth, and coordinating emergency responses.
As Samantha takes command in the final weeks of her stay on board, one of her main tasks will be to ensure a smooth and seamless handover to the next crew of the expedition.
Source: Sinc Agency
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