Samantha Cristoforetti, a trailblazing Italian astronaut, pilot, and engineer, holds the distinction of being the first Italian woman to venture into space. Born in Milan in 1977, she spent her formative years in Malè, Val di Sole, Trentino, Italy. At the tender age of 18, she embarked on a US foreign exchange program, which led her to attend the prestigious Space Camp.
Cristoforetti's academic journey took her to various institutions across Europe and Russia. She studied at the Technical University of Munich, graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She also pursued her education at the École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique et de l'espace in Toulouse, France, and the Mendeleev Russian University of Chemistry and Technology in Moscow, Russia.
In addition to her academic achievements, Cristoforetti is a highly accomplished pilot. She graduated from the Italian Accademia Aeronautica in Pozzuoli, becoming one of the first women to earn the rank of lieutenant and fighter pilot in the Italian Air Force. Notably, she is the second Space Camp alumnus to venture into orbit.
Cristoforetti's remarkable journey to space began on November 23, 2014, when she launched aboard Soyuz TMA-15M, accompanied by two other astronauts, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The mission successfully docked at the International Space Station roughly six hours later.
As a polyglot, Cristoforetti is fluent in Italian, English, German, French, and Russian, making her a valuable asset to the European Space Agency. Her long-duration mission to the ISS in 2014 marked a significant milestone in her illustrious career.
