Samantha Cristoforetti during helicopter training
ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst, Matthias Maurer, Samantha Cristoforetti and Thomas Pesquet completed a helicopter training course with the German Bundeswehr, Germany’s federal defence forces. They participated in a three-week training programme at the International Helicopter Training Centre in Bückeburg, Germany. The course included one week of simulator instruction followed by two weeks of practical flying in EC135 helicopters, with operations conducted over central Germany and in mountainous terrain in the German Alps.
Published by ESA on 10/16/2025
