It’s a day that Tessa, a 20-year-old student from INSA Toulouse (National Institute of Applied Sciences), and her little brother Tom will not soon forget. For them, it all started this summer when they just wanted to visit the site. “We came to the Cité de l’Espace for my brother’s 18th birthday. When we scanned our tickets, I was surprised to be told that I was the 7 millionth visitor, ”explains the young woman. To celebrate this event, the Cité offers Tessa a free entry for life and invites her to rediscover her in the company of the astronaut and godmother of the Cité de l’Espace, Claudie Haigneré. The opportunity also to highlight the 25 years of the French astronaut’s first flight (Cassiopée mission) and the 20 years of his second mission (Andromède).

Welcomed by Claudie Haigneré

This Thursday, September 23, Tessa and her brother had a very busy day. From 10:15 a.m., they were able to observe a diving suit from the end of the 1990s and enter the replica of the Mir Station while benefiting from the privileged comments and explanations of Claudie Haigneré but also of Jean-Baptiste Desbois, director General of SEMECCEL / Cité de l’Espace, and Jean-Claude Dardelet, President of the Cité de l’Espace.

At around 11 am, everyone headed for the new exhibition space “Alpha Mission Tracking” to celebrate the 7 millionth visitor and the astronaut’s two birthdays. Several personalities and partners receive in the development of the City and in the follow-up of the Cassiopée 1 996 and Andromède 2 001 space missions were then present. This was the case for Sébastien Barde, deputy director of the Sciences and Exploration service of CNES (National Center for Space Studies), and Audrey Berthier., Executive director of MEDES, the institute of space medicine and physiology. congratulated Tessa and I am delighted to spend this time with her, to answer her questions. It is always a pleasure to do so and an honor to be the godmother of this beautiful city, ”enthuses Claudie Haigneré.

The visit ended at the beginning of the afternoon at CADMOS (Center for the Development of Microgravity Activities and Space Operations), an operational structure of CNES.