Thomas Pesquet vacuum chamber training

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet during a test of the US spacesuit used for spacewalks at NASA's Johnson Space Center, 22 September 2020. To his right is NASA astronaut Megan Behnken and to his left is Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide who will be launched alongside Thomas and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough to the International Space Station in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

During his upcoming Alpha mission, Thomas will continue research and experimentation on the International Space Station supported by his crewmates and ground teams from ESA, the US space agency NASA, Russian space agency Roscosmos, the Canadian Space Agency and the Japanese space agency JAXA. 

This enduring international partnership is a key feature of the Space Station as nations work across cultures and borders, performing science, research and engineering that has led to breakthroughs in disease research, materials science, Earth observation, our understanding of Earth’s origins and more.  

This work helps humankind explore even farther while enhancing life here on Earth – setting Europe in good stead for its journey forward, beyond low Earth orbit to the Moon.