Samantha Cristoforetti during press conference

ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is seen during the press conference held at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on 22 November, 2014.

The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled on 23 November at 21:01 GMT (22:01 CET).

Samantha was assigned to the Futura mission more than two years ago and has travelled the world training on all the elements of the most complex machine ever built: the International Space Station. She learnt how to control the Station’s robotic arms, how to handle any emergency and how to perform all the scientific experiments she will run for the scientists on Earth.