He is undoubtedly the most Norman of all the astronauts. Seven days a week, the man who grew up between Rouen and Dieppe saw the Earth evolve before his eyes, but never lost sight of Normandy. Orbiting at an altitude of 400 km, Thomas Pesquet took advantage of the unique views from the ISS (International Space Station) to give us some spectacular images of Normandy.
He spent more than 365 days of his life… in space! A pretty crazy life, let’s face it. The life of a trained aeronautical engineer and pilot who became an astronaut for the European Space Agency. A brilliant career for this man from Seine-Maritime. Thomas Pesquet was born in Rouen on a February day in 1978, grew up nearby in Auffray, went to secondary school and music school in Dieppe and then began his higher education in Rouen, in the preparatory classes of the Pierre Corneille secondary school.
I had already photographed Dieppe in 2017, but when one loves, one does not count. I spent a good part of my teenage years there, years you never forget…
Appointed commander of the International Space Station at the end of 2021, Thomas Pesquet regularly returns to the land of his childhood years. ‘Beyond the images of green meadows and white cliffs, this is a dynamic region, rich in tradition and a great place to live. I always feel my stress dissipate when I travel by car or train and recognise every corner when I see my Normandy again’ he commented from space.
From the ISS, hovering behind a porthole, Thomas Pesquet photographed the highlights of his youth: the loops of the River Seine, the towns and villages of the Pays de Caux and the Alabaster Coast, and of course the one and only Mont-Saint-Michel.
‘The trajectory of the station is always from west to east: a stroke of luck for my native Normandy, under sunny skies as always’.
Back on terra firma, perhaps he’ll visit Normandy again soon? Maybe you’ll bump into him at the famous Saturday-morning market in Dieppe or in the busy streets of Rouen!
Thematics