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The situation on Earth is dire. Russia is bombing civilian and military targets Ukraine, In space, however, astronauts are working side-by-side with EU astronauts. This collaboration will continue when Samantha Cristoforetti flies to the International Space Station (ISS) later this month.
Cristoforetti is an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) and will be launched into space in late April with three other crew members as part of the Minerva mission. In a press conference about the mission on Monday, he emphasized that the conflict on the ground had no bearing on how astronauts and cosmonauts work together in space 400 kilometers (248 miles) above Earth. We do.
“It gives me an opportunity to reassure everyone that, on the space station, the current crew is doing really well, and they continue to be not only collaborators but good friends on board. And I am with our crew.” I hope the same for him,” Cristoforetti said. “As I’ve said many times, you have to focus on what you have in common, not what divides you, when you have a mission to accomplish.”
Italy’s first female astronaut also pointed to the importance of the ISS as an example of peaceful international cooperation in times of crisis.
“It’s a ray of hope, it’s a ray of peace, it’s a ray of international understanding,” Cristoforetti said. “It’s been like this from the beginning, and I think it’s the way it is today.”
Cristoforetti ISS. in a leadership position
Astronauts on the Minerva mission are to be launched into space on April 21 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a backup date of April 23 should conditions require. Cristoforetti’s crew includes Commander Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines and Jessica Watson, all NASA astronauts. The name of the mission refers to the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom, who was also a warrior and protector of handicrafts and arts.
Cristoforetti was the one to choose the name, in honor of the craftsmanship of the women and men whose hard work makes space flight possible.
Once aboard the ISS, the Italian astronaut will lead the US orbital segment, which will put her in charge of all activities within the space station’s US, EU, Japanese and Canadian modules.
Work with a robotic arm and other experiments
Minerva will be Cristoforetti’s second stint on the ISS, following the 2014-15 mission, and is looking forward to his return.
“I look forward to another experience,” she said. “You are no longer so overwhelmed with impressions and emotions and the whole experience. You can slow it down in your mind and really enjoy it. I am very much looking forward to experiencing it as a seasoned traveler and now I’m not a cheater.”
During her mission, she will conduct experiments and research in various fields, one of them being on the effects of microgravity on ovarian cells, which could help in future medical treatments of ovary-related diseases on Earth.
During her final mission, Cristoforetti famously became the first astronaut to brew espresso in space. This time, she’s bringing olive oil with her to the ISS—some for experimentation to see how the quality of the oil changes in space, and some to give it a “taste of home.”
The astronaut, who has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with expertise in aerospace propulsion and lightweight structures, will also work with the European Robotic Arm, which was sent to the ISS last summer.
The robotic arm can handle components up to 8,000 kg (17,637 lb) with 5 millimeter (0.2-inch) accuracy, and can be operated from inside and outside the space station.
long time space dweller
In her previous mission, Futura, Cristoforetti was aboard the space station from fall 2014 to spring 2015. She was in space for 200 days, making her the female astronaut with the longest uninterrupted space mission for some time. He is also the ESA astronaut with the second longest uninterrupted period in space behind his fellow Italian cosmonaut Luca Parmitano, who beat him by just one day.
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