N° 72–2001: ESA-Astronaut Frank De Winne löst Fahrkarte zur ISS

De Winnes Flug fällt unter die Anfang 2001 von ESA-Generaldirektor Antonio Rodotà und dem Generaldirektor der russischen Luft- und Raumfahrtagentur (Rosaviakosmos), Juri Koptew, unterzeichnete Vereinbarung, die in der Zeit von 2001 bis 2006 Sojus-Flüge für ESA-Astronauten zur ISS vorsieht. Die Mission wird von der belgischen Regierung und insbesondere von Yvan Ylieff, dem Regierungskommissar für wissenschaftliche Forschung, nachdrücklich unterstützt.

Die Vereinbarung mit Rosaviakosmos, die auch "Rotationsflüge" - d.h. Wachablösungen für 3- bis 4?monatige Aufenthalte an Bord der Station - vorsieht, soll es dem europäischen Astronautenkorps ermöglichen, Erfahrungen zu sammeln, bevor es nach dem Start des ESA-Labors Columbus im Jahr 2004 die ISS intensiv für wissenschaftliche Forschung, Erdbeobachtung, technologische Entwicklung, Werkstofforschung und humanphysiologische Experimente nutzen wird.

De Winne fliegt als zweiter Belgier ins All: Der erste, Dirk Frimout, nahm als Nutzlastexperte an der amerikanischen Raumtransportermission ATLAS?1 im März/April 1992 teil.

Nähere Auskunft erteilen:

Europäisches Astronautenzentrum der ESA, Köln

Jean Coisne

Tel.: +49.2203.6001.110/111

Fax: +49.2203.6001.112

Kabinett des Ministers für wissenschaftliche Forschung, Brüssel Emmanuelle Courtheoux

Tel.: +32.2.506.57.64

Handy: +32.476.63.9908

 

( *) Personal data

Born in Ghent, Belgium, 25 April 1961, Frank is married and has three children. He enjoys football, small PC applications and gastronomy.

Education

Frank De Winne graduated from the Royal School of Cadets, Lier, in 1979. He received a Masters degree in telecommunications and civil engineering from the Royal Military Academy, Brussels, in 1984. He was awarded the AIA Prize for the best thesis. In 1991, he completed the Staff Course at the Defence College, in Brussels gaining the highest distinction. In 1992, he graduated from the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) in Boscombe Down, England, where he was awarded the McKenna Trophy.

Organisations

Member of the Belgian Armed Forces Flying Personnel Association.

Special honours

In 1977 Frank was the first non-American pilot to receive the Joe Bill Dryden Semper Viper Award for demonstrating exceptional skills during a flight. In July 1999 he was appointed 'Officier in de Orde van Oranje Nassau' by the Dutch Queen for shown leadership during operation Allied Force.

Experience

After completing his pilot training with the Belgian Air Force, in 1986, Frank De Winne was an operational pilot on Mirage V aircraft. Detached to the Company SAGEM in Paris in 1989, he then worked in the Mirage Safety Improvement Programme where he was responsible for the preparation of the operational and technical specifications of the Mirage upgrade programme.

In December 1992, he was appointed to the Test and Evaluation branch of the Belgian Air Force. As a test pilot, he was involved in various activities, such as CARAPACE (an electronic warfare programme on F16) at Eglin Air Force Base, USA, and a Self-Protection Programme for the C130 aircraft. During that period, he also flew in Gosselies as a reception pilot in different aircraft types.

From January 1994 to April 1995, Frank De Winne was responsible for the flight safety programme of the 1st Fighter Wing at Beauvechain, Belgium.

From April 1995 to July 1996, as a senior test pilot in the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF), he was detached to Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he worked on the mid-life update of the F16 aircraft, focusing on radar testing.

From 1996 to August 1998, he was senior test pilot in the Belgian Air Force, responsible for all test programmes and for all pilot-vehicle interfaces for future aircraft/software updates.

From August 1998 to January 2000, Frank De Winne was the Squadron Commander of the 349th Fighter Squadron at Kleine Brogel Airbase, Belgium.

During operation Allied Force, Frank De Winne was the detachment commander of the Deployable Air Task Force, a combined Belgian/Dutch detachment that flew about 2000 sorties during this Nato campaign. He has logged 17 combat sorties.

Frank De Winne has logged more than 2300 hours flying time on several types of high-performance aircraft including Mirage, F16, Jaguar and Tornado.

In January 2000, Frank De Winne joined the European Astronaut Corps of the European Space Agency (ESA), whose homebase is the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.

Current assignment

In August 2001, De Winne took up training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Star City, near Moscow. Training includes elements of Basic Training for the International Space Station as well as training as Soyuz flight engineer.

 

For further information:

Referat für Medienbeziehungen

Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155

Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690