ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti becomes the first European ISS commander

ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will soon assume the role of Commander of the International Space Station, succeeding Oleg Artemyev, another Expedition 67 crew member.

Since the beginning of her Minerva mission in April 2022, Samantha has served as head of the United States Orbital Segment (USOS), overseeing activities in the station’s US, European, Japanese and Canadian modules and components.

Assuming her new role, she will be the fifth European commander of the space station, following in the footsteps of former ESA astronauts Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst, Luca Parmitano and Thomas Pesquet. She will also be the first European woman to hold this position.

“I’m honored to be named commander,” said Samantha, “and look forward to drawing on the experience I’ve gained in space and on Earth to lead a very capable team in orbit.”

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher shares Samantha’s outlook. “Samantha’s selection for the Commandership clearly demonstrates the trust and respect that our international partners place in ESA astronauts. During her Minerva mission, she contributed greatly to the station’s scientific and operational achievements, and I expect it will continue to thrive under her command. “

Samantha officially becomes Commander after a traditional handover ceremony that involves the symbolic handover of keys from the previous Commander. 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 Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, shared his view: “Samantha’s wealth of knowledge and experience makes her an excellent candidate for this role representing women in the space sector.”

The full title of this role is Crew Commander of the International Space Station. Commanders are assigned based on joint decisions by NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe) and CSA (Canada). ESA is represented in this selection process by the Head of the European Astronaut Center and ISS Program Manager Frank De Winne.

“I’m pleased that the plan has changed to put Samantha back in command,” says Frank. “She retains our full approval to fulfill this important leadership role. There is no doubt that their leadership will ensure the continued success of the mission.”

This position is critical to the continued success of the space station. While flight directors in the control centers direct 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 response should the worst come to the worst the crew of emergencies. As Samantha assumes command for the final weeks of her stay on board, one of her main responsibilities will be to ensure a smooth and comprehensive handover to the next expedition crew.