Cristoforetti

Cristoforetti is an Italian surname. It is derived from the given name Cristoforo (Christopher) with the -etti suffix, a common patronymic or diminutive marker in Italian surnames, and is most notably associated with individuals of Italian heritage.

Samantha Cristoforetti (born 1977) is an Italian astronaut affiliated with the European Space Agency. She was selected as an ESA astronaut in 2009 and became the first Italian woman in space when she launched to the International Space Station in 2014. Her first spaceflight lasted 199 days, during which she served as a flight engineer aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 43/44, setting the record at the time for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. Cristoforetti has continued to work with ESA in roles involving training, mission planning, and outreach, and she has been a prominent advocate for science education and international collaboration in space exploration.