With Thomas Pesquet in deep waters, in the Suffren submarine

Off Toulon (Var), Thomas Pesquet boards the Suffren, the brand new French attack submarine, the first of a new generation. “There are more of us than on the ISS. We are 65, and it’s a real human adventure“, explains Laurent Coggia, frigate captain and commander of the Suffren. “It’s the same thing. You are confined, the need to work as a crew“, notes for his part Thomas Pesquet. On board, space is limited, and you have to stick together to share meals. On the menu of the day, shepherd’s pie and chocolate fondant. “That’s why I came here!“, jokes the astronaut.

The captain then proposed to Thomas Pesquet, a former airline pilot, to take control of the Suffren. In front of the screens, the crew has become masters in interpreting the sounds of the ocean. “There I hear a lot of things, but it’s basically underwater noises, propellers from other ships“, comments the astronaut. In the corridors, everyone crosses to carry out their watch, maintenance or rest. The cabins have six berths, very narrow. “Super comfort“, nevertheless notes Thomas Pesquet. The astronaut, who spent 396 days in space, spent his first night under the ocean.