Andrew Yee[_1_]
February 11th 08, 05:50 PM
European Space Agency
Press Release No. 9-2008
Paris, France 11 February 2008
ESA astronaut Frank De Winne to spend six months on the ISS in 2009
With the Columbus mission well under way, the space station programme has
assigned crews for the next flight opportunities. Belgian ESA astronaut
Frank De Winne joins Expedition 19 and will spend six months on the ISS in
2009. In May 2009, he will fly together with Russian cosmonaut Yuri
Lonchakov and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk on a Russian
Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS.
The arrival of Frank De Winne and his two crewmates will for the first time
expand the station's crew size to six. They will join Russian cosmonaut
Gennady Padalka, the Expedition 19 commander, and NASA astronauts Michael
Barratt and Nicole Stott. By then, the Japanese Kibo laboratory will also be
attached to the ISS.
Frank De Winne has been back-up for French ESA astronaut Leopold Eyharts for
the ongoing Columbus mission. Like Eyharts, De Winne trained on the Shuttle,
the ISS and on Columbus and the ATV. He is therefore already very familiar
with those spacecraft. Moreover, he spent 12 days in space and onboard the
ISS in 2002 for ESA's Odissea mission. On 30 October 2002, he launched with
the new Russian Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan; during that mission, Frank De Winne carried out a complete
package of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and education
activities.
The back-up for Frank De Winne for the second European long-term mission to
the ISS in May 2009 will be Andre Kuipers, ESA astronaut of Dutch
nationality. Kuipers has also already been to the ISS. He flew in April 2004
on the Russian Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft and spent 12 days in space during the
Delta mission. Like De Winne he conducted a fully-fledged package of
scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and education activities.
Once the European Columbus laboratory has been attached to the ISS, ESA will
not only be an essential operational partner in the ISS, but will also have
a 8.3% share in the station's resources. The corresponding share in crew
time allows ESA to send one European astronaut for a six-month stay on the
ISS every second year. Frank De Winne's flight is based on this part of the
agreement between the ISS programme partners. He will conduct scientific
experiments, technology demonstrations and educational activities during his
stay on the ISS, along with various operational tasks on all the station's
international elements.
For further information:
ESA Media Relations Office
Communication and Knowledge Department
Tel: + 33 1 5369 7299
Fax: + 33 1 5369 7690
[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM9D8QR4CF_index_1.html ]
Press Release No. 9-2008
Paris, France 11 February 2008
ESA astronaut Frank De Winne to spend six months on the ISS in 2009
With the Columbus mission well under way, the space station programme has
assigned crews for the next flight opportunities. Belgian ESA astronaut
Frank De Winne joins Expedition 19 and will spend six months on the ISS in
2009. In May 2009, he will fly together with Russian cosmonaut Yuri
Lonchakov and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk on a Russian
Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS.
The arrival of Frank De Winne and his two crewmates will for the first time
expand the station's crew size to six. They will join Russian cosmonaut
Gennady Padalka, the Expedition 19 commander, and NASA astronauts Michael
Barratt and Nicole Stott. By then, the Japanese Kibo laboratory will also be
attached to the ISS.
Frank De Winne has been back-up for French ESA astronaut Leopold Eyharts for
the ongoing Columbus mission. Like Eyharts, De Winne trained on the Shuttle,
the ISS and on Columbus and the ATV. He is therefore already very familiar
with those spacecraft. Moreover, he spent 12 days in space and onboard the
ISS in 2002 for ESA's Odissea mission. On 30 October 2002, he launched with
the new Russian Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan; during that mission, Frank De Winne carried out a complete
package of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and education
activities.
The back-up for Frank De Winne for the second European long-term mission to
the ISS in May 2009 will be Andre Kuipers, ESA astronaut of Dutch
nationality. Kuipers has also already been to the ISS. He flew in April 2004
on the Russian Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft and spent 12 days in space during the
Delta mission. Like De Winne he conducted a fully-fledged package of
scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and education activities.
Once the European Columbus laboratory has been attached to the ISS, ESA will
not only be an essential operational partner in the ISS, but will also have
a 8.3% share in the station's resources. The corresponding share in crew
time allows ESA to send one European astronaut for a six-month stay on the
ISS every second year. Frank De Winne's flight is based on this part of the
agreement between the ISS programme partners. He will conduct scientific
experiments, technology demonstrations and educational activities during his
stay on the ISS, along with various operational tasks on all the station's
international elements.
For further information:
ESA Media Relations Office
Communication and Knowledge Department
Tel: + 33 1 5369 7299
Fax: + 33 1 5369 7690
[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM9D8QR4CF_index_1.html ]