She conducts science lessons as she orbits the Earth, has captivated thousands with her photos and video on social media, and gives space enthusiasts a glimpse of how everyday tasks are accomplished on the International Space Station.

Since coming aboard the space station last November, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti has become its latest social media star. And when she returns to Earth next week, she will touch down with hundreds of thousands of new fans.

Cristoforetti has more than 477,000 followers on , where she regularly tweets out photos and videos from space, including a nightly message from the ISS.

"Good night from #space. Buona notte dallo spazio," are her standard parting words, with which she includes a stunning image of Earth.

In a recent Vine post, she showed the starry skies over the Mediterranean, as the ISS flew over the region.

But it鈥檚 not just her images and videos that have captured the Internet鈥檚 attention. She has also created popular video tutorials.

In a recent video, she , with the help of floating baseballs and a knitting needle.

Other videos have seen her explain the technology that helps ISS crew members maintain their daily routines. Video posts include tours of the ISS bathroom, exercise equipment and the snacks that crew members regularly eat.

"Snack time is a great opportunity to put the right rocket fuel in your body," she says at the end of the video. "And as always, don't panic. Eating healthy 鈥� it's not rocket science."


On Sunday, the Milan native tweeted out an image of herself drinking a cup of freshly brewed espresso that she made with the experimental, Italian-made espresso maker, dubbed the ISSpresso.

Dressed in a Star Trek uniform, Cristoferetti joked "To boldly brew鈥�"

The 38-year-old has a lengthy list of accomplishments. She is the first Italian woman in space, was one of the first women to become a lieutenant and fighter pilot in the Italian Air Force and is trained to fly six different types of military aircraft.

And while her tweets, posts, videos and photos reflect her credentials, they also hint at her extra-curricular interests, which include scuba diving, hiking, travelling and reading.

A Facebook post of hers from April shows a dramatic image of Mexico's Tiburon Island in the Gulf of California.

"Looks like a great place to hike away from the crowds! #HelloEarth" she wrote.

L'Isola Tiburon nel Golfo di California, #Messico. Sembra un ottimo posto per camminare in tranquillità! Tiburon...

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Late last month, it was Canada鈥檚 icy waters that captured Cristoforetti鈥檚 attention.

鈥淲aters still quite fozen over off the coast of #Canada. Very pretty patterns! #HelloEarth,鈥� she wrote to accompany the photo.