Thomas Pesquet Status: Active 2/27/1978 – Nationality: French Type: Government Agency: European Space Agency Thomas Gautier Pesquet is a French aerospace engineer, pilot, and European Space Agency astronaut. Pesquet was selected by ESA as a candidate in May 2009, and he successfully completed his basic training in November 2010. From November 2016 to June 2017, Pesquet was part of Expeditions 50 and 51 on the International Space Station as a flight engineer.