ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is expected to serve as International Space Station commander for Expedition 68a, following an in-principle agreement by international partners on 19 May, pending consolidation of the Space Station’s operational plans and launch dates.
what does in "Expedition 68a" letter "a" mean?
Thanks for reaching out! It means it won’t be for the entire Expedition 68, just for the phase Expedition 68a
Thanks for your explanation. Are the entire ISS-68 crew members and their EF numbers for FE-2, FE-3 ... F-11 documentation already known?Who will be in command Expedition 68b - Russian or USA?
Not yet. More details will come in the future.
Is there a patch for Expedition 68? What is Samantha 's personal patch and mission name?
in this picture https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2021/05/samantha_trains_for_spaceflight/23327978-1-eng-GB/Samantha_trains_for_spaceflight_pillars.jpg Samantha is holding a tool in his left hand that looks like a key, but features a strange handle that, among other things, seems not very safe. Any idea about what it is and why it is designed that way?
Is there a patch for Expedition 68? What is Samantha 's personal patch and mission name? Is there a link to her personal patch and mission name?
SpaceX Crew-4, Minerva mission patch, 2022ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (IT) is scheduled to fly on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, on its fourth crewed operational flight called Crew-4, scheduled for launch in April 2022. She will fly with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins and Robert Hines.The name of Samantha’s second mission to the International Space Station is 'Minerva'. Inspired by the Roman goddess of wisdom, the handicrafts and the arts, this name is a homage to the competence and sophisticated craftmanship of the men and women all over the world who make human spaceflight possible. The goddess Minerva also embodies the toughness and discipline that is required of us, and the wisdom we wish to demonstrate, as we consolidate and expand human presence in space.Minerva is often depicted with her sacred owl, a key feature of Samantha’s mission patch, designed by ESA graphic designer Karen Oldenburg. The eye of the owl is a yellow Moon, casting a white glow on a round Earth. Its beak hints at the shape of the International Space Station, with its characteristic solar panels. The two lines also symbolise Samantha’s two missions to space. Waves of ever darker blue make up the body of the owl and encourage us to rise to the challenge and move farther into deep space. The owl looks to the right, to the future of space exploration and adventure off Earth for our planet.
