Italian Astronaut Shares Stunning Images Of Algeria From Space
Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who took over command of the International Space Station, expressed her fascination with the beauty of Algeria by posting mesmerizing pictures from space.
The astronaut tweeted on her official Twitter page: “Hello #Algeria! Algiers, its capital, lies on the country’s Mediterranean coast in the middle of two other coastal cities: Oran and Annaba. #MissionMinerva
Samantha Cristoforetti also attached her post with stunning images of the capital Algiers and the cities of Annaba and Oran from the space.
Moreover, this is not the first time an astronaut has been “retained” in open space by the intrinsic landscapes of Algeria. Thomas Pesquet, the French astronaut had already published original and unique pictures of Algiers from the space station.
“With its almost perfect crescent moon shape, it easily catches the eye,” the French astronaut, commented speaking of the bay of Algiers seen from space.
Algeria is distinguished by a unique charm. Indeed, the elegance of the country has been endorsed time and time again globally. On February 7, 2022, the American space agency NASA immortalized the painting that attests to the beauty of the Algerian Sahara. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that this time is far from the only time when this area of the country finds itself at the centre of NASA’s interest.
In this same context, a Russian astronaut, Sergey Ryazanskiy, also pleaded with the exceptional charm of the various landscapes that make up nature in Algeria. In particular, the beauty that characterizes southern Algeria. Through a post on his personal Facebook account, the astronaut highlighted the vastness of the Algerian Sahara.
Thus, it is important to note that the images of Algeria always remain a means of vibrating the web. This is in general, and social networks in particular. But above all, it is much more about images of the Algerian desert.
Italy’s astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti became, on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, the first European woman to take over command of the International Space Station during a ceremony broadcast live from space.
The outgoing commander, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, used the occasion to seemingly make a rare space-bound reference to the war in Ukraine, saying that “despite the storms on Earth, our international cooperation continues”.
During a relaxed ceremony, Artemyev handed Cristoforetti a golden key, symbolising that she is the new commander of the space station until she returns to Earth on Monday, October 10.
Cristoforetti, a 45-year-old European Space Agency astronaut and former Italian air force pilot, arrived for her second tour on the ISS in April.
She holds the record for the longest stay in space by a woman after spending 199 days in orbit in 2014 and 2015.
She is the fifth woman — and the first non-US woman — to become commander since the role was created in 2000.
The space station, long a symbol of closer post-Cold War ties between Russia and the United States, has been in a difficult position since the Moscow-Ukraine erupted war in February.
Moscow responded with outrage at unprecedented sanctions over the war and the ISS has been one of the last remaining areas of cooperation between Russia and the West.
Artemyev praised the work of all 10 people onboard the space station — four Americans, five Russians and Cristoforetti.
He said he viewed the ISS as “a continuation of the Apollo–Soyuz programme,” the first crewed international space mission carried out jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1975 amid the Cold War.
That was a time “when the relationship between the countries was also not simple when there were people who found the way which leads to peace, and the way that war ends everywhere,” Artemyev said, not mentioning Ukraine by name.
For her part, Cristoforetti praised the work of her fellow crew, saying they all form “a tiny part of the gigantic team on the ground” which manages the operations of the space station.
The commander is responsible for all tasks performed by the crew members onboard the space station, which orbits more than 400 kilometres (248 miles) above Earth.
During an emergency, the commander has the authority to take decisions without waiting for instructions from ground control.
In the event of a fire, depressurisation or the detection of a toxic atmosphere — the three defined emergency scenarios — it is up to the commander to ensure that the lives of the crew are saved first.
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who has served as ISS commander, said last year that it is “like being on a boat — there is only master onboard after God”.
The decision of who becomes commander is made jointly by the five space agencies involved in the station: NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos, Europe’s ESA, Canada’s CSA and Japan’s JAXA.
