Cristoforetti, Samantha (1977-…), is an Italian astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA). Cristoforetti became the first European woman to serve as commander of the International Space Station (ISS).
Cristoforetti’s first space mission began in 2014, when she flew to the ISS aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. At the station, she conducted experiments, performed maintenance, and engaged in science outreach with people on Earth through social media. She remained on the station for 199 days, breaking the record for the most consecutive days in space by an ESA astronaut. Cristoforetti’s record lasted until 2020, when Italian ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano spent 200 days in space.
Cristoforetti’s second mission to the ISS took place in 2022. During this mission, she conducted a spacewalk outside the station to perform maintenance on a robotic arm and deploy experimental satellites. Cristoforetti served as the station’s commander for several weeks in September and October.
Cristoforetti has represented ESA in several international projects. She has worked to develop cooperation between ESA and Chinese space agencies. Cristoforetti has also worked on plans for a proposed space station that would orbit around the moon. The station, called the Gateway, is a planned collaboration between ESA, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the space agencies of Canada and Japan, and several private companies. In 2019, Cristoforetti commanded a 10-day NASA mission on the ocean floor off the coast of Florida. The mission was part of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) project, which simulates space missions in an undersea-living station.
Cristoforetti was born in Milan, Italy, on April 26, 1977. She attended the Technical University of Munich, Germany, earning an M.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 2001. That year, she enrolled in the Italian Air Force Academy, graduating in 2005. As part of her training, Cristoforetti earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical sciences from the University of Naples Federico II. Cristoforetti was selected to become an ESA astronaut in 2009. She is a captain in the Italian Air Force.
