ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen has been selected as the commander of the International Space Station (ISS) for his upcoming Huginn mission, making him the sixth European astronaut to hold this prestigious position.
Mogensen will be flying to the Space Station as part of Crew-7, piloting SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Upon his arrival in August, he will take over as the ISS crew commander during Expedition 70, making him the longest-serving European to hold this role. Mogensen will lead the Earth’s orbiting outpost for a period of five months before returning home in early 2024. He will be taking over from Roscosmos astronaut Sergey Prokopyev, who has been in command since October 12, 2022, following ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.
Expressing his excitement, Mogensen stated, “It is a big honor for me to be the next commander of the International Space Station. I look forward to taking on the responsibilities and ensuring a great stay for all crew members during Expedition 70.”
Joining Mogensen in Expedition 70 will be NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, Roscosmos astronauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, with more crew members expected to arrive later.
The change in command of the Space Station is marked by a traditional ceremony a few days before the departing commander returns to Earth. During this ceremony, the outgoing commander delivers a speech about their tenure and hands over the symbolic key of the Space Station to the incoming commander, who then shares a few words about their new responsibilities.
As the commander of the Space Station, Mogensen will be responsible for ensuring the safety, good health, and well-being of the crew while directing them as a cohesive team. He will also collaborate with the flight director on the ground to oversee activities and operations on the Space Station.
Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, expressed his enthusiasm for Mogensen’s appointment, stating, “It is great to see that Andreas will be the next commander on the International Space Station. It is a testament to Andreas’s hard work, and together with being a pilot on Crew Dragon, I look forward to seeing Andreas go to new heights on his Huginn mission.”
Mogensen will follow in the footsteps of previous European commanders, including Samantha Cristoforetti, Thomas Pesquet, Luca Parmitano, Alexander Gerst, and Frank De Winne. Since the first expedition in October 2000, the ISS has had a commander, with a total of 73 individuals holding this position.
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