Thomas Pesquet to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Pesquet fans. Speculation had been rife that ESA astronaut of the Proxima mission will announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 48, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 18/10/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an astronaut isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an astronaut just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouThomas

For a little while on Saturday evening, #ThankYouThomas was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouThomas.”
— @DesireePlum, 17 Oct 2026

“Didn't Thomas Pesquet retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 17 Oct 2026

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