Parmitano, from studies to space missions: who is the only European chosen by NASA for Artemis III?
Raised in Sicily, between Paternò and Catania, the astronaut graduated from the University of Naples Federico II and joined the Air Force Academy in 2000
Key points
Luca Parmitano, the only European selected by NASA for the Artemis III mission, said he felt “a profound sense of humility” immediately after the announcement of his selection. Not only will he be the only European astronaut to return to the Moon, as mentioned, but he will also be one of the crew members with the most operational experience: “A dream mission for a test pilot,” he added, highlighting the contribution he will be able to make to system testing and the development of procedures for future explorations.
From childhood in Sicily to his studies
Parmitano’s childhood is rooted in Sicily. The astronaut was born in Paternò in 1976, but grew up in Catania. He moved to Naples to study, graduating in Political Science from Federico II University with a thesis on international law. He joined the Air Force Academy in 2000 and completed his training with the US Air Force as part of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training programme. In the following years, he qualified on the A-11, qualified as an electronic warfare officer and attended the Tactical Leadership Programme in Belgium. In 2009, he obtained a master’s degree in experimental flight engineering at ISAE in Toulouse.
The missions
His first space mission came in 2013 with Volare, the Italian Space Agency’s first long-duration mission. Launched from Baikonur aboard a Soyuz, he spent 166 days on the International Space Station, conducting over 20 experiments, taking part in two extravehicular activities and managing the docking of four shuttles.
His second mission, Beyond, took him back to the ISS in 2019. Over the course of 201 days, he became the first Italian and the third European to serve as commander of the Station (Expedition 61). He conducted four complex spacewalks to repair the AMS-02 spectrometer, totalling 25 hours and 30 minutes of extravehicular activity. Over the course of his career, he has accumulated 366 days in space and six EVAs totalling 33 hours and 9 minutes.
Parmitano has supported over 250 European and international experiments, taken part in the first DJ session from space, and sent a message to world leaders during COP25. He was awarded the Silver Medal for Aeronautical Valour (2007) and the title of Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2013).
