Progressive deconfinement, ambitious Joe Biden and Pesquet to the ISS



Jean Castex on April 21, 2021 at the Elysée. – Jacques Witt / SIPA

Did you miss the early morning news? We have concocted a recap to help you see more clearly.

“The peak of the third wave seems to be behind us, but we have to remain vigilant. “The Prime Minister, Jean Castex, took the floor this Thursday evening, and drew up” the perspectives which emerge for the coming weeks “in terms of the fight against Covid-19 in France. He “confirmed the resumption of school lessons from next week”, with a return to class for nursery and primary from April 26, for colleges and high school from May 6. The curfew will also be “maintained until further notice,” said Jean Castex, specifying that “we will see in mid-May, the next stage, where the epidemic situation will be”. “There is no automaticity in lifting the curfew, including at this time”. As of Saturday, the control system will therefore be reinforced with a 10-day quarantine for “all” passengers from Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Argentina and India.

Angela Merkel, Antonio Guterres, Emmanuel Macron or Boris Johnson… Almost the whole world hailed America’s “return” or a “turning point” on Thursday, while Joe Biden raised American carbon emissions targets on the occasion of a virtual climate summit organized by Washington. It remains to be seen whether Congress will follow the US president, who is relying heavily on his big infrastructure bill for his green shift. In Congress, Republicans are preparing for a standoff. And even if the Democrats could try to force their way through, they must spare two centrist senators. The game of chess promises to be complicated.

Here we are ! With one day late due to unfavorable weather along the flight path, Thomas Pesquet will take off this Friday at 11:49 a.m. from Cape Canaveral (Florida) on board the Crew Dragon capsule by Space X. Direction the International Space Station (ISS), 400 kilometers from Earth, which he will reach with three teammates * after 23 hours. As for his first stay, from November 2016 to June 2017, Thomas Pesquet will stay there for six months, writing a new beautiful page in French and European space history. The astronaut will indeed sign several firsts and will break some records. This from take-off, since he will be the first European to join the ISS aboard the capsule of Space X, the company of billionaire Elon Musk, when travel was previously made on board the Russian spacecraft Soyuz. Up there, Thomas Pesquet will also become the French astronaut who has spent the most time in space. And even the first to take command of the ISS, as planned for the last month of his mission.





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