
ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and Expedition 43 commander Terry Virts pose for a photo in front of Crew Quarters (CQ) after hair cut.

ISS043E122274 (04/17/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti seen here in the Cupola of the International Space Station. Cristoforetti captured the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft using the Canadarm2 robotic arm before handing off to robotics officers at Mission Control, Houston, Texas who worked to maneuver Dragon to its installation position at the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module where it will reside for five weeks. Cristoforetti points to the Dragon in this image taken on Apr. 17, 2015 shortly after grappling. The Dragon carried more than 2 tons of equipment, experiments and supplies for the Expedition 43 crew aboard the station.

ISS043E181043 (05/08/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti prepares the TripleLux-A experiment for return on SpaceX’s Dragon cargo craft. TripleLux-A is investigating immune suppression in space as understanding such risks is essential in maintaining the health and performance of crew members during long-duration missions.

iss042e017276 (11/28/2014) --- European Space Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti prepares to place her lunch in the rehydration unit at mealtime aboard the International Space Station. The Johnson Space Centers Space Food Laboratory creates healthy and tasty menu's for the Astronauts.

ISS043E162881 (04/27/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti seen taking a drink in the Unity module aboard the International Space Station Apr. 27. 2015. The crew’s food galley is located in Unity and there are several food packets visible to the right.

iss042e023422 (12/6/14) --- Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) on 6 December 2014 is seen inside of a sleeping bag in her personal crew quarters on the International Space Station. Astronauts will strap the bag to the wall to prevent from free floating and potentially bumping into equipment while sleeping.

ISS042E262032 (02/10/2015) --- Expedition 42 Commander Barry Wilmore of NASA (right to left), Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA on the International Space Station are preparing for the departure of the Dragon supply spacecraft on Feb. 10, 2015. In this picture Astronaut Cristoforetti points to the SpaceX CRS-5 Dragon patch.

iss042e034821 (12/08/2014) --- Its dinner time on board the International Space Station (ISS) for Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) on 8 December 2014. She is in the process of preparing a tasty specially designed food packet. The food on board the ISS is developed by food scientists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas.

iss067e253397 (Dec. 2, 2024) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 67 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti photographs and exchanges samples for the Fluids Science Laboratory Soft Matter Dynamics space physics experiment aboard the Intenational Space Station's Columbus laboratory module. The microgravity environment enables the observation of "wet" foams and the study of rearrangement phenomena, such as coarsening and coalescence, disentangled from drainage issues caused by Earth's gravity. Results may benefit Earth and space industries.

Commander Barry Wilmore and flight engineers Samantha Cristoforetti and Terry Virts pose for a photo in the Destiny U.S. Laboratory. Cristoforetti is a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. Image was released by astronaut on Twitter.

Flight Engineers Terry Virts and Samantha Cristoforetti pose with floating apples recently delivered to the ISS. Image was taken in the Unity Node 1.

iss042e013622 (11/24/2014) --- US Astronaut Terry Virts and European Space Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti aboard the International Space Station take a break from working on science experiments to prepare for an interview.

Date: 11-115-12 Location: NBL - Pool Topside Subject: Expedition 42 crew member and Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti being lowered into the water during her INC-42/CB EVA 91027 suited training Photographer: James Blair

iss043e181041 (May 8, 2015) --- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Christoforetti prepares the TripleLux-A experiment for return on SpaceX's Dragon cargo craft. The TripleLux-A experiment studies the effects of the spaceflight conditions on immune suppresion in mice, which will help scientists understand the effects of radiation and microgravity on the human immune system in space.

iss043e181042 (May 8, 2015) --- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Christoforetti prepares the TripleLux-A experiment for return on SpaceX's Dragon cargo craft. The TripleLux-A experiment studies the effects of the spaceflight conditions on immune suppresion in mice, which will help scientists understand the effects of radiation and microgravity on the human immune system in space.

ISS042E016676 (11/27/2014) --- Expedition 42 Commander Barry Wilmore of NASA, Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA (left to right) are living and working on the International Space Station, performing hundreds of research investigations and maintaining the orbital laboratory.

Photographic documentation of inspection and regular maintenance on Minus Eighty-degree Laboratory Freezer for the ISS 3 (MELFI-3) located in the LAB1S1 rack. View is of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, Expedition 43 flight engineer, at work with the MELFI-3.

Expedition 42/43 ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during preparations for EMU Certification Altitude Run. Photo Date: September 22, 2014. Location: Bldg. 7, 11 foot chamber. Photographer: Robert Markowitz

iss042e019467 (12/01/2014) ---US Astronaut Terry Virts assists European Space Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti with emergency training exercises aboard the International Space Station 1 December 2014.

Expedition 42/43 ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during preparations for EMU Certification Altitude Run. Photo Date: September 22, 2014. Location: Bldg. 7, 11 foot chamber. Photographer: Robert Markowitz

Expedition 42/43 ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during preparations for EMU Certification Altitude Run. Photo Date: September 22, 2014. Location: Bldg. 7, 11 foot chamber. Photographer: Robert Markowitz

Expedition 42/43 ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during preparations for EMU Certification Altitude Run. Photo Date: September 22, 2014. Location: Bldg. 7, 11 foot chamber. Photographer: Robert Markowitz

Expedition 42/43 ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during preparations for EMU Certification Altitude Run. Photo Date: September 22, 2014. Location: Bldg. 7, 11 foot chamber. Photographer: Robert Markowitz

ISS042E296399 (03/02/2015) --- US astronaut Terry Virts, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov acknowledge their 100th day aboard the International Space Station on Mar. 2, 2015 with this tweeted picture and the comment “Celebrating flight day 100 of our mission aboard the Station with @AstroSamantha and @AntonAstrey”.

ISS043E001020 (03/13/2015) --- Expedition 43 commander and NASA astronaut Terry Virts (middle) is joined by ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (left) and Russian cosmonaut Shkaplerov (right) aboard the International Space Station. The trio are seen here inside the U.S. Destiny Lab preparing for an interview on March 13, 2015.

ISS043E279223 (06/03/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti works with science equipment on board the International Space Station while preparing for her return to Earth soon.

ISS042e291952 (02/28/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti on Feb. 28, 2015 tweeted this photo and gives a final salute to Star Treks' Leonard Nimoy who passed away recently. Cristoforetti is a flight engineer on the International Space Station. She commented in the Tweet ""Of all the souls I have encountered.. his was the most human." Thx @TheRealNimoy for bringing Spock to life for us"

ISS043E087335 (04/03/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti works to retrieve samples for the Aniso Tubule experiment from the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) on Apr. 3, 2015. Aniso Tubule examines growth modifications of Arabidopsis hypocotyls in space. Scientists will analyze the changes in dynamics of cortical microtubules and microtubule associated proteins with a fluorescence microscope.

ISS043E160068 (05/03/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti waits next to the newly installed ISSpresso machine. The espresso device allows crews to make tea, coffee, broth, or other hot beverages they might enjoy.

iss068e008924 (Oct. 5, 2022) --- The Swiss Alps surround Northern Italy's cloud-covered Po Valley region in this photograph taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 264 miles above. Credit: ESA/Samantha Cristoforetti

iss068e007434 (Oct. 2, 2022) --- Carteret Atoll, part of the independent nation of Papua New Guinea, is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Credit: ESA/Samantha Cristoforetti

iss068e012218 (Oct. 5, 2022) --- The Swiss Alps surround Northern Italy's cloud-covered Po Valley region in this photograph taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 264 miles above. Credit: ESA/Samantha Cristoforetti

iss042e017210(12/01/2014) --- European Space Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti prepares her lunch using the space food rehydrator aboard the International Space Station.

iss042e046171 (12/16/2018) --- Photographic documentation taken during the Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) test run in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is visible conducting the test.

ISS043E271162 (05/29/2015) --- This nighttime image from the International Space Station shows the Soyuz TMA-15M which carried NASA astronaut Terry Virts, Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to the station and will return them in early June.

iss068e007429 (Oct. 2, 2022) --- Billy Mitchell Crater Lake and the active volcano Bagana on Papua New Guinea's Bougainville Island are pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Credit: ESA/Samantha Cristoforetti

All six Expedition 43 crewmembers are gathered in the Destiny laboratory on board the International Space Station on Mar 30, 2015 after an emergency procedures training period. The six members include Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, Anton Shkaplerov, Gennady Padalka, NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, and Expedition 43 commander US astronaut Terry Virts.

NASA astronaut Terry Virts, Commander of Expedition 43 on the International Space Station, is seen here recording a special message for a science conference along with his crewmates cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS), ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly (bottom left), Russian cosmonauts, Anton Shkaplerov, and Gennady Padalka (ROSCOSMOS).

NASA astronaut Terry Virts, Commander of Expedition 43 on the International Space Station, is seen here recording a special message for a science conference along with his crewmates cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS), ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly (bottom left), Russian cosmonauts, Anton Shkaplerov, and Gennady Padalka (ROSCOSMOS).

ISS043E069815 (03/30/2015) --- All six Expedition 43 crewmembers are gathered in the Destiny laboratory on board the International Space Station on Mar 30, 2015 after an emergency procedures training period. The six members include Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko (top left), Anton Shkaplerov, Gennady Padalka, NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (bottom left), and Expedition 43 commander US astronaut Terry Virts.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is helped aboard a helicopter on the SpaceX recovery ship Megan to fly to Jacksonville, Florida with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines and Jessica Watkins, after the four landed in their SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is helped out of a helicopter in Jacksonville, Florida just a few hours after she and NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins and Robert Hines landed in their SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

From left, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren are photographed at the Press Site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a visit to the Florida spaceport on March 22, 2023. The astronauts visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Watkins, Hines, and Lindgren, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

From left, NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Kjell Lindgren prepare to serve cake to Kennedy Space Center employees during an appreciation event held at the Florida spaceport’s KARS Park on March 22, 2023. Hines, Watkins, and Lindgren, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

From left, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren are photographed at the Press Site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a visit to the Florida spaceport on March 22, 2023. The astronauts visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Watkins, Hines, and Lindgren, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

From left, NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Bob Hines sign posters for Kennedy Space Center employees during an appreciation event held at the Florida spaceport’s KARS Park on March 22, 2023. Lindgren, Watkins, and Hines, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

From left, NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Kjell Lindgren take a photo with a Kennedy Space Center employee during an appreciation event held at the Florida spaceport’s KARS Park on March 22, 2023. Lindgren, Watkins, and Hines, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

From left, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren are photographed at the Press Site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a visit to the Florida spaceport on March 22, 2023. The astronauts visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Watkins, Hines, and Lindgren, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

From left, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren pose for a photo at the Press Site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a visit to the Florida spaceport on March 22, 2023. The astronauts visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Watkins, Hines, and Lindgren, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Three of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 crew members converse with Kennedy Space Center senior staff members inside the Florida spaceport’s Operations Support Building II on March 22, 2023. The crew members, from left, are NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, and Jessica Watkins. Hines, Lindgren, and Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, for an approximately six-month science mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.

From left, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren are photographed at the Press Site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a visit to the Florida spaceport on March 22, 2023. The astronauts visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Watkins, Hines, and Lindgren, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren is photographed at the Press Site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a visit to the Florida spaceport on March 22, 2023. Lindgren, along with crewmates Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Lindgren, Hines, and Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren (right) presents a photo to Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Kelvin Manning on March 22, 2023, on behalf of the astronaut corps to thank Kennedy employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Lindgren, along with NASA astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from the Florida spaceport’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA astronaut Bob Hines is photographed at the Press Site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a visit to the Florida spaceport on March 22, 2023. Hines, along with crewmates Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins, visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Hines, Lindgren, and Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), presses her hands against the bus window as she departs the Cosmonaut Hotel to suit up for the Soyuz launch to the International Space Station on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will send Cristoforetti, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is seen inside an elevator on the SpaceX recovery ship Megan that will take her up to a waiting helicopter to fly to Jacksonville, Florida with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines and Jessica Watkins, just a couple of hours after the four landed in their SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ISS043E174193 (05/06/2015) --- NASA astronaut Terry Virts (left) Commander of Expedition 43 on the International Space Station along with crewmates Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov (center) and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti on May 6, 2015 perform a checkout of their Russian Soyuz spacesuits in preparation for the journey back to Earth.

ISS043E127770 (04/14/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Expedition 43 on the International Space Station works to remove a water removal reservoir on Apr.14, 2015. She and her crewmates also were removing all four European Modular Cultivation System rotor based life support systems to pack for their return to Earth on the upcoming SpaceX-6 spacecraft.

ISS043E174185 (05/06/2015) --- NASA astronaut Terry Virts (left) Commander of Expedition 43 on the International Space Station along with crewmates Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov (center) and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti on May 6, 2015 perform a checkout of their Russian Soyuz spacesuits in preparation for the journey back to Earth.

ISS043e000724 (03/13/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, Expedition 43 flight engineer works daily on science and maintenance duties on board the International Space Station. She is inspecting the Minus Eighty-degree Laboratory Freezer called by the shorter title "MELFI-3 Cold Box inspection". Astronauts are trained for long periods at the Johnson Space Center and in Russia before their missions in space begin so that they are fully trained for these complex duties.

ISS042E340851 (03/09/2015) --- Crewmembers on the International Space Station are treated to Earth views that are constantly changing. NASA Astronaut Terry Virts Commander of Expedition 43, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko both flight engineers enjoy the wonder of Earths changing vista's from the stations cupola, a series of special windows that allow 360 degree views. This image is from Mar. 9, 2015.

Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) speaks with friends and family through glass at the conclusion of the press conference, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Nov. 24 and will carry Cristoforetti, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA , and Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) answers a question during a press conference on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Nov. 24 and will carry Cristoforetti, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani).

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery Megan ship after she and NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Robert Hines, landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Megan after she, and NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, and Jessica Watkins, landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren shakes hands with a Kennedy Space Center employee during an appreciation event held at the Florida spaceport’s KARS Park on March 22, 2023. Lindgren, along with crewmates Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Lindgren, Hines, and Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren (left) presents a photo to Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Kelvin Manning on March 22, 2023, on behalf of the astronaut corps to thank Kennedy employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. To the right of Manning are NASA astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins. Lindgren, Hines, and Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from the Florida spaceport’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

From left, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren pause to look at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a visit to the Florida spaceport on March 22, 2023. The astronauts visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Watkins, Hines, and Lindgren, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren speaks to Kennedy Space Center employees during an appreciation event held at the Florida spaceport’s KARS Park on March 22, 2023. Lindgren, along with crewmates Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, visited Kennedy to thank employees for supporting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Lindgren, Hines, and Watkins, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on April 27, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The crew remained at the orbiting laboratory for approximately six months, conducting critical science as part of the fourth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

ISS043E019025 (03/18/2015) --- Safety training never ends onboard the International Space Station. This photo in the U.S. Laboratory on Mar. 18, 2015 was taken during Emergency Egress Drill On-Board Training (OBT) with the Expedition 43 crew. Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko (rear) and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (middle), both flight engineers, are shown with astronaut Terry Virts, Commander (front) during the important emergency drill.

ISS043E122574 (04/19/2015) --- ESA (European Space Station) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, a flight engineer on the International Space Station, is seen here unpacking the recently arrived Osteo-4 experiment which was carried up on Spacex’s sixth Dragon resupply mission. Osteo-4 is performing research on how microgravity effects changes in the most common cell found in human bones to protect the health of future astronauts. This research could also have implications for patients on Earth in the treatment of bone disorders related to disuse or immobilization, as well as metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis.

ISS043E070945 (03/31/2015) --- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, Expedition 43 flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, is seen working on a science experiment that includes photographic documentation of Cellular Responses to Single and Combined Space Flight Conditions. Some effects of the space environment level appear to act at the cellular level and it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms of these effects. This science project uses invertebrate hemocytes to focus on two aspects of cellular function which may have medical importance. The synergy between the effects of the space radiation environment and microgravity on cellular function is the goal of this experiment along with studying the impairment of immune functions under spaceflight conditions.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, left, Robert Hines, Kjell Lindgren, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, right, are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Megan shortly after having landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 42 crew members, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), center, and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), right, wave farewell to family and friends as they depart the Cosmonaut Hotel to suit up for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will send Shkaplerov, Virts, and Cristoforetti on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 crew members, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), left, Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), center, and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, right, prepare for pressure checks of their Sokol suits in Building 254 following their suit up for launch, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will carry Virts, Shkaplerov, and Cristoforetti into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), center, and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), right, receive the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to their launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Virts, Shkaplerov, and Cristoforetti will spend the next five and a half months living and working aboard the ISS. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) waits for a pressure check of her Sokol suit in Building 254 following her suit up for launch, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will carry Cristoforetti and fellow crewmates, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA and Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing the hotel for launch in a Soyuz rocket with fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 Kazakhstan time and will carry Cristoforetti, Virts, and Shkaplerov into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti waves after being helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery Megan ship after she and NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Robert Hines, landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing the hotel for launch in a Soyuz rocket with fellow crewmates, Flight Engineers Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Terry Virts of NASA, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 Kazakhstan time and will carry Shkaplerov, Cristoforetti, and Virts into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti gives a thumbs up after being helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery Megan ship after she and NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins, and Robert Hines, landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 42 crew members, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), center, and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), right, prepare for pressure checks of their Sokol suits in Building 254 following their suit up for launch, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will carry Virts, Shkaplerov, and Cristoforetti into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) is helped into her Russian Sokol suit as she and fellow crewmates, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA and Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will carry Virts, Cristoforetti, and Shkaplerov into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)

Expedition 42 crew members, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), center, and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA), right, wave farewell to family and friends as they depart the Cosmonaut Hotel to suit up for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will send Virts, Shkaplerov, and Cristoforetti on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for her launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will carry Cristoforetti and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)

Date: 06-12-15 Location: Ellington Field Subject: Expedition 43 crew members Terry Virts and Samantha Cristoforetti return to Ellington Field after their mission to the ISS. Photographer: James Blair

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti speaks to members of the media after arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with fellow crewmates NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, and Jessica Watkins ahead of SpaceX’s Crew-4 mission, Monday, April 18, 2022, in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch at April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is seen after arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility with fellow crewmates NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, and Jessica Watkins at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center ahead of SpaceX’s Crew-4 mission, Monday, April 18, 2022, in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch at April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for her launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for the early hours of Nov. 24 and will carry Cristoforetti and fellow crewmates, Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA, into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)

Expedition 42 prime crew members, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) (center), and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti (right) of the European Space Agency are seen during a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014. The mission is set to launch Nov. 24 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) (center), and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti (right) of the European Space Agency , wave as they are introduced during a press conference, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission to the International Space Station is set to launch Nov. 24 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) (center), and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (right), pose for a photo at the conclusion of the press conference, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission to the International Space Station is set to launch Nov. 24 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 prime crew members, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) (center), and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti (right) of the European Space Agency are seen during a press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014. The mission is set to launch Nov. 24 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) (center), and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (right), pose for a photo at the conclusion of the press conference, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission to the International Space Station is set to launch Nov. 24 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Family visits with Expedition 42 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) through glass at the conclusion of the press conference, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Nov. 24 and will carry Shkaplerov, Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA , and Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Robert Hines speaks to members of the media after arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with fellow crewmates NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Kjell Lindgren, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti ahead of SpaceX’s Crew-4 mission, Monday, April 18, 2022, in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch at April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

From left to right, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Robert Hines, and Kjell Lindgren, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-4 mission launch, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch on April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins waves as she and crew mates NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-4 mission launch, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch on April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, left, Robert Hines, second from left, Jessica Watkins, second from right, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, right, are seen after arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center ahead of SpaceX’s Crew-4 mission, Monday, April 18, 2022, in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch at April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, left, Kjell Lindgren, second from left, Robert Hines, second from right, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, right, pose for a picture after speaking to members of the media following their arrival at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center ahead of SpaceX’s Crew-4 mission, Monday, April 18, 2022, in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch at April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)