French astronaut Thomas Pesquet will lead the Vast PAM-6 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2027, President Emmanuel Macron announced during the International Space Summit in Paris. The mission will last 15 days and marks Pesquet’s third visit to the ISS. This mission is part of a partnership between France and the American space company Vast, which is developing a private orbital module. As part of this agreement, ESA reserve astronaut Arnaud Prost will be on the crew for the first mission of this private station, alongside astronauts from Greece and the Czech Republic. Pesquet and Prost highlighted the importance of Europe’s growing role in space exploration. They emphasized that Europe has the technological and academic capabilities to be a major player in space, and should not be left behind. Pesquet noted that the current reduced U.S. involvement in space may be an opportunity for Europe to take a leading role in future exploration efforts. He expressed a desire to travel to space using European vehicles and with a European crew, reinforcing the need for European unity in this endeavor. Thomas Pesquet has previously spent over a year aboard the ISS, with two separate stays of more than six months each. Currently, another French astronaut, Sophie Adenot, is also living and working on the ISS. The collaboration between Arianespace and Amazon has been cited as an example of the strength and excellence of the Ariane industry, according to Minister Philippe Baptiste. Meanwhile, an expert from the Academy of Air and Space raised concerns about the lack of enforcement of international rules on space debris, which poses a growing risk to satellites and spacecraft.