Johnson Space Center (United States) (AFP) – Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano is hoping to bring a taste of his homeland to the Artemis III mission he will pilot near Earth in 2027 to test two lunar modules.
Issued on: 10/06/2026 - 02:12
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Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano will pilot Artemis III © RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP
The menu for the Artemis II mission in April featured Texas brisket and tortillas for the Orion spacecraft's crew -- and a jar of Italian sweet treat Nutella was also seen floating by during a live broadcast from space."I do expect something Italian to show up on the menu, and I don't even have to bring it up because Italian food is a treasure of UNESCO," Parmitano told AFP Tuesday, adding "everybody wants some Italian food."That's not all the former Italian Air Force colonel brings to the table.Selected as an astronaut by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2009, Parmitano has completed two missions aboard the International Space Station, where he completed complex spacewalks -- including a near-fatal incident when his helmet began filling with water due to a failure in the suit's cooling system.Responsibility and humility
