ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano has sent Euronews the first in a series of special messages to chronicle his mission to the International Space Station. The Italian is partnering with Euronews to share his adventures in orbit throughout his six-month Beyond mission, starting on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landings on 20th July.

Parmitano is currently going through his final examination process at Star City in Moscow to qualify for the Soyuz MS spacecraft and get the green light for liftoff. Once in orbit, he will send Euronews viewers weekly updates on his mission, named Beyond.

Read more: Meet Luca Parmitano, the first Italian astronaut to be Space Station Commander

The 42-year-old is becoming a very special kind of space correspondent for Europe's largest news channel, relating all kinds of insights from life on the ISS, ranging from the challenges of keeping fit and healthy in microgravity to the pressure of carrying out cutting edge science experiments for researchers on the ground.

Parmitano will become the first Italian and only the third European to command the International Space Station in October this year.