Blogs | The depths and delights of Dieppe
24/02/2017 - 14:38

Shoot for the stars

Expo%20tp.001 <p>Not a day goes by without the French media mentioning his name. Since his lift-off onboard the Soyuz MS-03 spaceflight on 17 November last year, astronaut Thomas Pesquet has become a national celebrity. By the time he returns to Earth in May, he will have spent six months inside the International Space Station as part of Expedition 50/Expedition 51, and is determined to make the most of his time up above the clouds. With hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Thomas is one of the social media heroes of the year, and definitely knows how to please his audiences. Every day, he posts a new photo of a different town, city or region of the world, offering a unique point of view of well-known localities.</p> <p>Last month, one of his photos was met with plenty of excitement online, as it showed his hometown, Dieppe, from above. Although he was born in Rouen, Thomas grew up in a small village near Dieppe and went to high school at the Lyc&eacute;e Jehan Ango, where most of the Dieppois obtained their Baccalaur&eacute;at (A-Levels). Several of his teachers, still currently teaching there, remember a very smart, dynamic and inquisitive student, who liked to question things and who practiced a wide range of activities. He holds a black belt in judo, along with advanced licenses in both scuba diving and parachuting, plays the saxophone and speaks fluent French, English, Spanish, German and Russian. For many, Thomas is a role model and has certainly become Dieppe&rsquo;s best ambassador.</p> <p>Although he is currently 400km above our heads and travelling at the speed of 17&nbsp;000 miles an hour, Thomas hasn&rsquo;t forgotten where he grew up and recently told one of his followers on Facebook who was questioning him about his hometown that Dieppe was <em>&ldquo;France&rsquo;s best kept secret&rdquo;.</em> It&rsquo;s no secret through that the whole of Dieppe has fallen in love with its space boy. Last month, tens of inhabitants gathered on the esplanade behind the Castle to send a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/studioneptune.fr/videos/1337186156346857/">video message</a> to the astronaut, and for three months now, a large banner portraying Thomas has been hanging on the front of the Town Hall. Before he returns home, Dieppois and visitors will also have the opportunity to discover or rediscover some of his most emblematic photos taken from space during an exhibition at Dieppe&rsquo;s <em>Service Communication, </em>located in the town centre. Named <em>Thomas Pesquet: his view of the world,</em> the exhibition can be seen until 28 April. <a name="_GoBack"></a></p>

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