After a 24-hour postponement, it's D-Day for Thomas Pesquet.
The French astronaut takes off on Friday, April 23 at 11:49 a.m. (9:49 a.m. GMT), with Robert Shane Kimbrough, K. Megan McArthur and Akihiko Hoshide aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon to the International Space Station (ISS).
On board the ISS, Thomas Pesquet will notably have to carry out the Alpha mission of the European Space Agency - one of the objectives of which is to study the accelerated aging in space of brain stem cells.
More than 230 other experiences are on the program, as well as routine maintenance of the station and several spacewalks.
Thomas Pesquet will also be in command of the ISS at the end of his mission, a historic first for a Frenchman.
>> To see and read, our infographic: 3, 2, 1… Thomas Pesquet back in the ISS
Follow the departure of the SpaceX Crew-2 on our liveblog:
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to return to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR