The French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, 36, posing March 17, 2014 with its combination of the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2016 he stayed in space aboard the International Space Station. – François Guillot AFP

20 Minutes with AFP

The French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, which will take off in November 2016 to the International Space Station, announced Thursday it had chose to call its mission “ Proxima ‘, a name proposed by a young Toulousain 13 years.

1,300 French and European proposals

The agency European Space (ESA) in April appealed to the creativity of visitors to name that space travel. “I chose Proxima among 1,300 French and European proposals,” said Thomas Pesquet Thursday, wearing his blue astronaut suit, at a press conference at the State Secretariat for Research in Paris.

“I wanted to enroll in the tradition of French spaceflight has always had star names and constellations” (Altair, Cassiopeia, Andromeda etc.), has astronaut explained by unveiling the blue logo of the mission

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Proxima Centauri is the most star? close to the solar system. “It is a metaphor of space exploration,” he said.



Proximity and share scientific results

He also chose it “to close” it wants to “maintain with people, in terms of scientific results, that it serves to the population.” And also “to share this experience through social networks, video will be done inside the station to try to board people with us.”

Thomas Pesquet account called ” today or tomorrow, “Samuel, the young winner. And when he returns from his six-month mission on board the ISS, he will give Samuel a small piece of “patch” that will go into space.

Originally from Rouen, Pesquet Thomas, 37, was selected by ESA in May 2009. He will become the 10th French astronaut in space since the first flight of Jean-Loup Chrétien in 1982.