Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency will receive the symbolic key from the current commander, cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, on 28 September. Until now Samantha has been in charge of the US orbital segment, overseeing activities on the US, European, Japanese and Canadian modules and components of the orbital complex.
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At the end of September 2022, Samantha Cristoforetti will become the first European woman commander of the International Space Station (ISS). When she takes up her new post, she will be the fifth European Space Agency (ESA) commander of the station, following in the footsteps of previous astronauts Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst, Luca Parmitano and Thomas Pesquet.
“I am very honoured by my appointment as commander and look forward to using the experience I have gained in space and on Earth to lead a highly skilled team into orbit,” said Samantha.
Since the start of her Minerva mission in April 2022, the Italian astronaut has been in charge of the US Orbital Segment (USOS) on the ISS, overseeing activities on the US, European, Japanese and Canadian modules and components.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said: “Samantha’s selection as Commander clearly demonstrates the faith and value that our international partners place in ESA astronauts. Throughout her Minerva mission, she has contributed significantly to the station’s scientific and operational successes, and I anticipate that the station will continue to thrive under her leadership.
Samantha will officially become commander after a traditional handover ceremony that revolves around the symbolic handing over of a key by the previous commander, her crewmate on the current ISS Expedition 67: Latvian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of the Russian space agency (Roscosmos).
Ceremony broadcast on TV
The ceremony itself will take place on Wednesday 28 September 2022 and will be broadcast live from the International Space Station on ESA Web TV.
David Parker, ESA’s Director of Human Exploration and Robotics, said: “Samantha’s wealth of knowledge and experience makes her an excellent candidate for this position. As the first European woman commander, she once again pushes the boundaries of female representation in the space sector.
The full title of this position is “International Space Station Crew Commander”. This command is awarded on the basis of joint decisions taken 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 ISS Programme Manager, Frank De Winne.
“I am delighted that the schedule has changed in such a way that Samantha should return to the commander’s post,” says Frank, “she has our full support for this important leadership role. There is no doubt that her stewardship will ensure the continued success of the mission.
This position is vital to the continued success of the space station. While flight directors in the control centres decide the planning and execution of station operations, the station commander is responsible for the performance and well-being of the crew in orbit, for maintaining effective communication with teams on Earth, and for coordinating emergency response.
As Samantha takes command in the final weeks of her time on board, one of her main tasks will be to ensure a smooth and complete handover to the next expedition crew.