Luca Parmitano during the Russian inter-departmental commission approving the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft crewmembers at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Russia, on 30 November 2012.

NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano are the Soyuz TMA-07M back-up crew, the prime crew will be launched to the International Space Station in December 2012.

Luca is assigned engineer on a long duration mission to the International Space Station planned for 2013.