There is always a first time in all things and the one that concerned today, Friday 28 May 2021, astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti fills Italian country with pride. Cristoforetti will in fact be the first woman of European nationality to command the ISS, the International Space Station. It is not a world first, given that it was preceded by two American women, but the news is arousing great emotion in these hours. For this long-awaited moment we will have to wait until 2022: we are talking about the Expedition 68 mission which will go into orbit in several months, as announced by ESA (European Space Agency). The Milanese astronaut said she was honored for this appointment, a role that was still in the air according to some rumors. The words of the 44-year-old engineer were full of enthusiasm for a prestigious investiture: “Returning to the International Space Station to represent Europe is an honor in itself. I am honored to be appointed to the position of commander and look forward to drawing on the experience I have gained in space and on Earth to lead a very competent team into orbit". 

Three years later, there will be another Italian in command of the ISS: in 2019 it was Luca Parmitano's turn as part of the mission renamed "Beyond", designed to simulate a possible future scenario in which astronauts, in orbit on the Moon or Mars, they will control rovers placed on the ground to perform difficult tasks or to set up the next lunar and Martian bases.