Heading for great heights

ESA Space in Images Title Thomas Pesquet with Tony Parker and Boris Diaw Released 07/04/2015 1:17 pm Copyright NASA-L. Harnett Description - ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet (in blue flight suit) in Houston, USA, as part of his worldwide training for his mission to the International Space Station in 2016. He took time off his busy schedule to give a guided tour of NASA's Johnson Space Center to basketball stars Tony Parker (left) and Boris Diaw (right) 2 April 2015. All three are of French nationality with Thomas representing the European Space Agency and Boris and Tony playing for the San Antonio Spurs in the US National Basketball Association, NBA. Thomas is showing his guests the T-38 aircraft that NASA uses to train astronauts to think fast under pressure, experiencing similar g- forces they will feel during a rocket launch while flying faster than the speed of sound. Tony and Thomas grew up in the same region in France and crossed each other on the basketball court at high school. Thomas says: "Being an astronaut has a lot in common with a professional athlete: daily hard work, dedication, maintaining performance under pressure and doing your best with the chances you create, as well as trying to inspire kids to bring out the best in them.