The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
Italian ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano completed his first mission to the International Space Station in 2013. As he prepares to be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for his second mission – known as Beyond – in July, Luca reflects on his spaceflight experience and how it has shaped his approach.
During his first mission, known as Volare, Luca spent 166 days in orbit and undertook two spacewalks. The first one was completed successfully, but the second was dramatically cut short when a water leak threatened to drown Luca inside his helmet.
This experience, alongside other challenges he overcame during his mission and on-the-ground training, have helped him not only prepare for a second spaceflight but also to take on the role of International Space Station Commander during the second part of his Beyond mission.
Luca is an experienced test pilot who has logged over 2000 hours of flying time on more than 40 different types of aircraft. In addition to Italian, English and French, he also speaks Russian, which is essential to his role as a flight engineer onboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
This clip recalls Luca Parmitano's first mission and his recent training in Houston and Star City, with interviews in English, Italian and French.