ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet returned to the International Space Station for a second mission called Alpha, after the star Alpha Centauri, located in the same system as Proxima.

Thomas took a new ride to space and was the first European to leave Earth on the SpaceX Crew Dragon launching from Florida, USA. The crew of four included NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, who was with Thomas on the International Space Station during his Proxima mission, as well as Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide.


Launch: 23 April 2021, 09:49:02 GMT (10:49:02 CEST)

Launch site: Florida, USA

Spacecraft: SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour

Expeditions: 65/66

Docking: 24 April 2021, 09:08 GMT (10:08 CEST)

Crewmates: NASA astronauts Megan MacArthur and Shane Kimbrough, Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide

Splashdown: 9 November 2021, 03:33 GMT (04:33 CET)

Landing site: Pensacola, Florida, USA


Alpha.png
4 spacewalks
1 st ESA Dragon rider
1 st French commander

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Crew-2 after splashdown
Thomas during event from Space Station
Crew-2 ready to return home
International Space Station

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Akihiko Hoshide poster

Thomas Pesquet’s Alpha mission

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Thomas Pesquet: Biography and training

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