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JJoohhnn OO’’SSuulllliivvaann
European Missions to the International
Space Station
2013 to 2019
John O’Sullivan
European Missions
to the International
Space Station
2013 to 2019
John O’Sullivan
County Cork, Ireland
SPRINGER-PRAXIS BOOKS IN SPACE EXPLORATION
Springer Praxis Books
Space Exploration
ISBN 978-3-030-30325-9 ISBN 978-3-030-30326-6 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30326-6
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the
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Cover design: Jim Wilkie
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To Kate and Victor
Contents
Foreword.......................................................... vi
Preface............................................................ ix
Acknowledgements ................................................. xiii
About the author ................................................... xiv
Acronyms ......................................................... xv
Part I Background
1 Earlier European Missions to the ISS .............................. 2
2 Spacecraft Flown to the ISS ...................................... 6
Part II Missions
3 Volare ........................................................ 16
4 Blue Dot....................................................... 57
5 Futura ........................................................ 109
6 Iriss .......................................................... 135
7 Principia ...................................................... 148
8 Proxima....................................................... 183
9 Vita .......................................................... 206
10 Horizons ...................................................... 225
11 Beyond........................................................ 262
vi
Contents vii
A Note from the Author.............................................. 270
Bibliography....................................................... 271
Image Links ....................................................... 273
Appendix 1: Charter of the European Astronaut Corps ................... 278
Appendix 2: European Missions to the ISS.............................. 280
Appendix 3: Pre-Flight Interview with Alexander Gerst................... 282
Appendix 4: Alexander Gerst Blog on Science ........................... 296
Appendix 5: Tim Peake’s FAQ ........................................ 302
Appendix 6: Alexander Gerst FAQ..................................... 312
Index ............................................................. 319
Foreword
The general public initially associated astronauts with the United States and cosmonauts
with the then-USSR. On the basis of bilateral agreements, several European countries
managed to have European citizens fly on a number of space missions, be it with NASA
(especially involving the provision of the ESA Spacelab module in the shuttle cargo bay)
or with the Soyuz rocket to the Russian MIR station.
Although this was a highly interesting experience, it put European astronauts on the
same footing as many other international astronauts who flew with those two major space
powers, typically as payload specialists and often chosen based upon political motivations.
There is no doubt that such flights were very important for the image of space in the
respective European countries, but it did not provide the opportunity to develop a solid
European astronaut program.
This changed near the end of the 1990s, when Europe started its own space transporta-
tion project, called Hermes. This small spacecraft was scheduled to fly from Kourou with
European astronauts onboard. As a consequence, it was decided to initiate a number of
astronaut training facilities with a dedicated European astronaut headquarters in Cologne,
on the premises of the German space agency, DLR. This astronaut center was named the
European Astronaut Centre (EAC). As a member of the Hermes management team, I was
detached in 1989 to the forerunner of this center, responsible for coordination of European
astronauts.
As a next step, it was decided to group the existing astronauts as well as a number of
newly recruited ones in a joint European Astronaut Corps. On the basis of the estimated
number of flight opportunities a first corps of twelve astronauts was formed, a majority of
them experienced test pilots, in view of the planned Hermes flights.
Consequently, astronauts received basic training at EAC and were then integrated into
the astronaut classes in NASA as mission specialists, or assigned to missions on board of
the Russian Mir station, in particular Euromir94 and Euromir95, where I had the privilege
of coordinating the European astronaut activities. Both missions were long-duration flights
and a first exposure to the very rich experience of Russia with this type of flight. Several
other flights followed, also national ones, all in preparation for the flights that would go to
the International Space Station (ISS).
viii
Fig. F.1. European Astronaut Centre (EAC), Cologne, Germany. (Image courtesy of ESA)
Fig. F.2. Walter Peeters (Wikipedia)
x Foreword
It was these steps that led towards the recognition of European astronauts as a full part-
ner in the ISS era, with several flights as described in this excellent book. Books of this
nature are important, as active participants in the activities are caught in recurring cycles
of flight preparation and operations, in combination with chosen experiments and training.
Unfortunately, leaves little time for participants to document all their experiences and log
them for the future. Books of this kind, therefore, are a treasure for future researchers
interested in the evolution of European astronaut activities.
Prof. dr. W. Peeters, President (Emeritus), International Space University, Strasbourg,
France, and former head of Coordination, European Astronaut Centre, Cologne, Germany
