Astronauts from France and Belgium are named the next Europeans to fly to the ISS
Kyiv • UNN
Sophie Adeno from France and Raphaël Liegeois from Belgium will be the first two members of ESA's 2022 astronaut class to travel to the International Space Station in 2026.
Sophie Adeno from France and Raphaël Liegeois from Belgium will be the first two representatives of a new class of European astronauts to go to the International Space Station, the European Space Agency announced on May 22, UNN reports.
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"ESA astronauts Sophie Adeno and Raphaël Liegeois have been assigned to their first space flights to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of missions planned for 2026," the statement said.
"The appointment of Sophie and Raphaël as the next ESA astronauts to fly to the International Space Station marks an important milestone for ESA and its 2022 class of astronauts. It is a tangible result of our commitment to continue a strong European presence in the international context. With research activities evolving at an unprecedented pace, sending two recently graduated ESA astronauts into space is an important step towards preserving European know-how, ensuring Europe's long-term involvement in ongoing programs such as Artemis, as well as in any future projects, including human spaceflight and exploration," said ESA Director-General Josef Aschbacher.
Sophie and Raphaël, members of the latest group of ESA astronauts selected in 2022, recently completed a year-long basic training, culminating in the official astronaut graduation ceremony on April 22 at the ESA European Astronaut Center in Germany.
After the appointment of Sophie and Rafael, the first two astronauts from the ESA astronaut class of 2022 are to go on long missions to the International Space Station, with Sophie going first and then Rafael, the agency said.
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