Samantha Cristoforetti (born April 26, 1977) is an ItalianEuropean Space Agency astronaut, Italian Air Force pilot an engineer. She is the first Italian woman in space[1] and until 2017, held the record for the woman with most time spent in space with 199 days and 16 hours. This record is now held by Christina Koch.[2][3] Cristoforetti is also the first person in prepare an espresso in space.[4]
Biography
Cristoforetti was born in Milan in 1977. She spent her childhood in Malè, Val di Sole, Trentino, Italy.[5] When she was 18, she took a US foreign exchange program[6] and attended Space Camp.
On July 3, 2012, the European Space Agency assigned to Cristoforetti a long-duration mission to the ISS in 2014.[7]
