Which Italian European Space Agency astronaut holds the record for the longest uninterrupted spaceflight of a European astronaut (199 days, 16 hours), Samantha Cristoforetti or Roberto Vittori?
Samantha Cristoforetti Samantha Cristoforetti (] ; born 26 April 1977 in Milan) is an Italian European Space Agency astronaut, Italian Air Force pilot and engineer. She holds the record for the longest uninterrupted spaceflight of a European astronaut (199 days, 16 hours), and until June 2017 held the record for the longest single space flight by a woman until this was broken by Peggy Whitson. She is also the first Italian woman in space. Samantha Cristoforetti is also known as the first person who brewed an espresso coffee in space.
Giovanni Bignami Giovanni Fabrizio Bignami (10 April 1944 - 24 May 2017) was an Italian physicist. From March 2007 until August 2008, he was Chairman of the Italian Space Agency. Between 2010 and 2014, he was the first Italian to chair the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), and from 2011 until 2015, he was President of INAF. He was also the chairman of the SKA project. He was married to fellow Italian astrophysicist Patrizia A. Caraveo.