In April 2021, Thomas Pesquet took off for the second time. The latter flew to the International Space Station, also called the ISS. A trip that he was impatiently awaiting and that his partner, Anne Mottet, with whom he is in a civil partnership, followed from the tarmac of Cape Canaveral. Thomas Pesquet was the portrait of the week in the show Seven to Eight Sunday October 15, 2023. The astronaut spoke about his first space takeoff, which took place in 2016. This one was special for many reasons, including the fact that he only carried one personal item. “A silver star at the end of a chain”, says Audrey Crespo-Mara. “Yes” declares the principal concerned before providing details: “there was a little symbol. It’s a star for Anne“. A little attention that was very important to him. “I was going to bring him a star from the stars, it’s something between us”, confided the astronaut, a big smile on his lips. Audrey Crespo-Mara then asked him if he was romantic but Thomas Pesquet concluded by indicating the opposite: “No actually, it’s his idea, but I would have liked to have the benefit of this romanticism“.
Thomas Pesquet: “it’s not funny”
Being an astronaut is a passion for Thomas Pesquet but he affirms that his daily life is not always easy. Guest of Papotin meetingson France 2 in June 2023, he spoke about his relationship, specifying that the distance is sometimes complicated to live with. “It’s difficult to be alone, you have to be very independent, resourceful. There are many things that are easier to experience together.” began Thomas Pesquet. When it takes off into space, it is for a period of six months. “When you come home from your day at work and you are tired, frustrated, it’s good to talk about it, to exchange ideas. When you’re all alone, it’s no fun“ he assured, specifying that his partner Anne Mottet has a very demanding job. The latter is responsible for livestock policies at FAO, a department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in Rome. “To be able to work with my job, she would have had to stop hers. I didn’t want to demand it. It would be very selfish. She hasn’t stopped and that’s great. But the consequence is that we see each other less often.”, concluded the astronaut.