Student in Toulouse, Tessa is the 7 millionth visitor to the Cité de l’Espace
Through Margaux Thokagevistk
Published on
The milestone of seven million visitors was passed this summer by the Space City, a Toulouse (Haute Garonne). Thursday, June 10, 2021 to be exact. And this 7 millionth visitor is a visitor. Her name is Tessa. She is 20 years old.
When I arrived on June 10, I didn’t know I was the 7 millionth visitor. Members of the team came to catch up with me and my brother while we were at the Planetarium. They scanned our tickets to verify before breaking the news to me. I was really surprised! You know, I was not born when the Cité de l’Espace opened almost 25 years ago, so it’s pretty incredible. “
An unforgettable encounter
This Thursday, September 23, to celebrate the event, the scientific culture center released the red carpet to the young engineering student at theNational Institute of Applied Sciences (Insa) From toulouse. A special day was organized for him with the place of the astronaut and the godmother of the Cité de l’Espace, Claudie Haigneré, for a private visit.
It is a chance to be there today and to be able to discuss with Jean-Baptiste Desbois, the director, and Claudie Haigneré. Thanks to my studies in engineering, I know her background but to see her in real life is really a privilege. She is the first French and European woman to have been to space, twice. She is also a doctor and even later served as a minister. It is a very inspiring journey. A woman who has done all of this in a lifetime is impressive. “
Tessa is the 7,000,000th visitor to the @CiteEspace of #Toulouse. This Thursday morning, she was treated to a private tour of the site with astronaut Claudie Haigneré, the godmother of the scientific culture center. A privileged moment. pic.twitter.com/o0NdZvVuxh
– News Toulouse (@actutoulouse) September 23, 2021
Claudie Haigneré, a committed godmother
During this visit, Claudie Haigneré notably introduced Tessa to her mission spacesuit and also to the Mir Station. The opportunity for the godmother of the place to go back in detail on her career and her various professional experiences.
I am delighted to be there with Tessa who is a passionate young woman and who has a lot of appetite for the rest of her career. In addition, she is the 7 millionth visitor. This means that the Cité de l’Espace brings something to a very large audience, especially for the very young but also for everyone in order to try to understand how space is useful in our daily life. “
Democratize and feminize space professions
Space has been his life for 40 years. Moreover, this year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of its first flight and the 20th anniversary of its second space mission. A pioneer in her field, Claudie Haigneré has worked for years to democratize and feminize space professions.
Still too many space professions seem inaccessible for women. Many of them say it to me, but it is not true. Recently, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched a selection for the fourth promotion of European astronauts. I was delighted to learn that there had been 24% applicants, compared to 10% in my time. It is moving in the right direction. It is also essential to remember that space is not just astronauts, researchers or engineers. They are also logisticians, architects, lawyers … Everyone can find their place. “
A message received five out of five by Tessa and her brother, also present this Thursday, September 23 at the Cité de l’Espace.
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