Thomas Pesquet: “A few French astronauts, it gives more flexibility”

The “family” is growing: European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts are now 24, since the constitution’s announcement on Wednesday of a new rise of 17 (including twelve reservists). Selected in 2009, 44-year-old Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, two stays on the International Space Station (ISS) by the clock, does not throw away his spacesuit. While recruiting newcomers, he is also eyeing the new Artemis lunar program, of which he may very well become a participant in a few years.

You participated in the selection process for new astronauts. Thus, thirteen years later, you have switched sides. What does it do?

THOMAS PESKE. In fact, I had tests, simulations, psychological assessments… It’s very interesting. I got involved a lot because I wanted to take it very seriously. I know, having been on the other side, how important this is for these people, how much this is a dream of a lifetime for many. Therefore, we cannot afford to treat them lightly. It’s not like that: if they don’t have this job, they’ll have another one. We tried to concentrate as much as possible, to evaluate everything. We couldn’t afford to look at our phones while people were talking to us. It also made me look back and realize that it’s easy to be rejected. There were so many candidates … The slightest doubt on our part – screening.

Of the 22,500 candidates, there were over 7,000 French. How do you explain that we are the first represented nation?

I hope this is a little thanks to me! For ten years now I have been trying to share this adventure, to say that it is important and to show what we are doing on board the ISS. I wish I had seen this when I was little because the adventure is too good to keep. I talked a lot about the fact that you should not limit yourself, censor yourself, because I myself almost did not register in the selection. When I saw her, I said to myself: this must be too difficult. What is stupid. I also think space is fascinating today. We can no longer see what is happening. We have more images, more technology. We have a photo of the passage of the Orion spacecraft (from the Artemis I mission, in progress) behind the moon, of sufficient quality and everyone can look at their smartphone in real time. Space has long become very virtual. It was very far away, we couldn’t see. Today is a little different.

International cooperation in space is exemplary. We also represent open camaraderie within the European Astronaut Corps. Is it an added advantage that there are people of the same nationality as you?

In case of health problems, it wasn’t great for France’s space program to be the only Frenchman. Even though we are Europeans, we also represent our country. We have a flag on our sleeve. To be two or three, this may give more flexibility. For the media side, it can also help to not be the only interface. (laughs) ! And it can be interesting to vary profiles.

We know that you are interested in the Moon. By 2030, several missions of the NASA Artemis program will be to launch modules of the lunar station Gateway, developed by Thales. And for the French astronaut they will not be cut off?

Yes and no. There is no crystal ball. It’s hard to predict the future. In general, this gives a small voice to the chapter that Europe has an important place in this cooperation. In Europe, every country contributes. The more important this is, the greater the certainty that the presence of a country representative seems logical. This is obviously true in France, but it is true in others as well: Italy is also doing a lot in space exploration. The Germans are present on the Orion service module. We are all a little chauvinistic, but we try to reach everyone a little.