From Orbit to Flight Test: Thomas Pesquet Joins Airbus

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, known for spending nearly 400 days aboard the International Space Station, has joined Airbus to train as a flight test pilot. Over the next few months, he will exchange his space suit for an Airbus flight uniform at the company’s Flight Test School in Toulouse, France, as part of the “Class of 2026.”

“Space and aviation go hand in hand,” Pesquet says. “The way to interface with the vehicle is the same. The systems are very much the same, the dangers are the same – fire, depressurisation, loss of control. The best training for a space mission is actually flying airliners.”

Pesquet explains that competencies like crew resource management, teamwork, and composure under stress directly translate from flying aircraft to commanding spacecraft. His training has a clear purpose: preparation for participation in NASA’s Artemis moon programme, with collaboration from the European Space Agency and Airbus.

“Artemis vehicles are being tested as we speak,” Pesquet notes. “For that reason, there's a lot of emphasis on test pilot qualifications.”

Reshaping Training for Deep-Space Missions

While the International Space Station is now a familiar environment, Artemis represents a step into new territory. Pesquet’s progression from orbit to flight testing bridges two demanding frontiers—aviation and human space exploration.

Author’s summary: Thomas Pesquet transitions from astronaut to Airbus flight test pilot, merging space mission expertise with aviation mastery to join NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration effort.

Airbus — 2025-11-07

From Orbit to Flight Test: Thomas Pesquet Joins Airbus

Reshaping Training for Deep-Space Missions

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