Italian astronaut: International Space Station "beacon of hope"

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is the fifth European to take command of the ISS [International Space Station]. She says the space station gives her hope for peace on Earth.

During an official ceremony on the International Space Station, Cristoforetti will take over command of the ISS from Russia's Oleg Artemyev on September 28. Cristoforetti is the fifth European astronaut to command the ISS and Europe's first female to do so, DW reports.

The ceremony also marks the end of Expedition 67, which Artemyev led.

"I am humbled by my appointment to the position of commander," said Cristoforetti, "and I look forward to drawing on the experience I've gained in space and on Earth to lead a very capable team in orbit."

Space station a beacon of peace

Cristoforetti takes command of the ISS at a tense time on Earth, with the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict and fuel and food crises on Earth.

But in space, Russian cosmonauts work side by side with astronauts from the European Union and the USA.

In a press conference about Expedition 67 in April, Cristoforetti emphasised that the conflict on the ground had no bearing on how astronauts and cosmonauts worked together in space, 400 kilometres (248 miles) above Earth.

"This gives me the opportunity to reassure everyone that, on the space station, the current crew is working really well, and they keep on being colleagues and good friends on board. And I expect the same for our crew," Cristoforetti said in May.

"As I've said many times, you have to focus on what you have in common, not what divides you, when you have a mission to accomplish," she said.

The Italian astronaut also pointed out the importance of the ISS as an example of peaceful international cooperation during troubled times.

"It's a beacon of hope, it's a beacon of peace, it's a beacon of international understanding," Cristoforetti said. "It has been so since the beginning, and I think it continues to be so today."