Science
Samantha Cristoforetti, an astronaut is born
The career of European astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti unofficially told by a space enthusiast friend: recruitment, training, outreach activities and space flights
Who's this story about?
Samantha Cristoforetti is an European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut of Italian nationality. She will become the first Italian woman to fly into space.
Before joining ESA she was a fighter pilot in the Italian Air Force.
ESA - Human Spaceflight and Exploration - Astronauts - Samantha CristoforettiEuropean Space Agency astronaut Personal data Born in Milan, Italy, on 26 April 1977. Cristoforetti enjoys hiking, scuba diving, caving, swimming, running, weight training and yoga. Other interests include learning foreign languages, reading and ballroom dancing.- Who tells the story?I'm Paolo Amoroso, an Italian astronomy, space and science educator. And a space enthusiast.I could only read about how astronauts train and go to space. Until now. I guess sooner or later Samantha will have to face my eventual question: what is space really like?
Paolo Amoroso - Google+Paolo Amoroso - Space geek - Science education and outreach activities for Civico Planetario "Ulrico Hoepli" and Museo Astronomico di Bre...
Paolo Amoroso (@amoroso) on TwitterGet updates via SMS by texting follow amoroso to 40404 in the United States Codes for other countries- In spring 2008 ESA announced it was going to recruit a new group of astronauts. Samantha applied, together with over 8,400 candidates, about 1,400 of whom women, from 17 countries. She had been dreaming of becoming an astronaut since she was a child.
ESA - European Astronaut Selection - ESA to recruit new European astronautsESA PR 21-2008. With ESA astronauts working in the Columbus laboratory onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and the first of ESA’s new ATV cargo ships having delivered fresh supplies to the station, ESA’s human spaceflight activities have entered a new era. It is now time for ESA to seek out new talent to bolster its Astronaut Corps for future manned missions to the ISS, the Moon and beyond.- On May 20, 2009, at its Paris headquarters, ESA announced and introduced to the media the 6 individuals selected to become the next generation of European astronauts. Samantha was among them.
ESA Portal - ESA prepares for the next generation of human spaceflight and exploration by recruiting a new class of European astronautsESA PR 12-2009. ESA today presented the six individuals who will become Europe's new astronauts. The new recruits will join the European Astronaut Corps and start their training to prepare for future missions to the International Space Station, and beyond.- Samantha addressed the audience gathered at the May 20, 2009 announcement event in Paris.
- I also announced the good news, telling how I had come to know Samantha a few years earlier and followed her ESA selection process.
The Launch Pad: Guest Blog: An astronaut is bornGuest Blog: An astronaut is born ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2009What's the next best thing for a space enthusiast after becoming an astronaut? Witnessing the professional birth of an astronaut. On May 20, 2009 the European Space Agency (ESA) announced 6 new European astronauts. My friend Samantha Cristoforetti, a fighter pilot with the Italian Air Force, is among them.I first met Samantha in November 2007 at , the annual convention of the online community...- In early september 2009, Samantha and her colleagues reported to the ESA European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, for basic training as AsCans, i.e. Astronaut Candidates.
ESA Portal - New class of European astronauts report for trainingESA’s new astronaut recruits reported this week to the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. The six have started the first days of their 18-month basic training in preparation for future missions to the International Space Station and beyond.- At an early September 2009 public outreach event in Cologne she first publicly wore the ESA astronaut blue uniform.
An astronaut is born, and is wearing a dream | Space Tweep SocietyIn June 2009 I told on the Google Lunar X PRIZE blog how my friend Samantha Cristoforetti was selected in May 2009 to become a new ESA as...- The selection of Samantha as a new astronaut generated excitement and interest not just in her home country, Italy. German girl Laurel010203, for example, created a musical video featuring Samantha.
- During basic training AsCans go back to school for learning about medicine, electronics, robotics, rocket science and many other topics they will need for their activities in space.
ESA Multimedia Gallery - Samantha Cristoforetti in generic robotics trainingBack to thumbnails 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | | 29 | 30 Back to thumbnails 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | | 29 | 30
ESA Multimedia Gallery - Samantha Cristoforetti during training at EAC, January 2010Back to thumbnails | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 Back to thumbnails | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30
Did you find this story interesting? like or comment as 6 already did!
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- Paolo AmorosoThanks! I'm glad you like this storify, which I regularly update. Yes, when you saw Samantha at the NBF she was indeed there for EMU training.2012-11-08T08:25:26.453Z
- Personal Space: Connecting the Individual to the IntergalacticThis is really awesome! I interned at NASA Johnson Space Center's Public Affairs Office this summer, and while I was interviewing someone at the NBL (the giant...more2012-11-07T23:10:39.795Z
- Paolo AmorosoThanks! I'm glad you like this storify, which I regularly update. Yes, when you saw Samantha at the NBF she was indeed there for EMU training.2012-11-08T08:25:26.453Z
- Personal Space: Connecting the Individual to the IntergalacticThis is really awesome! I interned at NASA Johnson Space Center's Public Affairs Office this summer, and while I was interviewing someone at the NBL (the giant...This is really awesome! I interned at NASA Johnson Space Center's Public Affairs Office this summer, and while I was interviewing someone at the NBL (the giant training pool) I saw Samantha there. I assume she was doing some training. She seemed very dedicated and very nice. It's cool to learn more about her personal story from this storify.more2012-11-07T23:10:39.795Z
