Thomas Pesquet

Thomas Gautier Pesquet, born on February 27, 1978, in Rouen, France, is an accomplished aerospace engineer, pilot, and astronaut affiliated with the European Space Agency (ESA). His journey into space exploration began when he was selected as an ESA astronaut candidate in May 2009, completing his basic training by November 2010. Pesquet made his first significant mark in space as a flight engineer during Expeditions 50 and 51 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) from November 2016 to June 2017. He returned to the ISS in April 2021 for a second six-month mission aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon.

Pesquet, who considers Dieppe his hometown, has a diverse array of interests, including judo, basketball, and adventure sports like mountain biking and kite surfing. He is also a skilled scuba diver and parachutist, and enjoys playing the saxophone and reading. A polyglot, he speaks multiple languages, including French, English, Spanish, Chinese, German, and Russian.

After graduating from Lycée Pierre Corneille in 1996 and earning his master’s degree in space systems from the École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique et de l'espace in 2001, Pesquet trained as a pilot, obtaining an Airline Transport Pilot License in 2006. His career includes significant roles at GMV in Spain and the French space agency CNES, where he contributed to various research projects. A passionate advocate for space exploration, Pesquet remains a prominent figure in the aerospace community.