Gerhard Thiele facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerhard Thiele
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| Born |
Gerhard Paul Julius Thiele
September 2, 1953 |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Physicist |
| Space career | |
| DFVLR/ESA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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11d 05h 39m |
| Selection | 1987 German Group |
| Missions | STS-99 |
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Mission insignia
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Environmental science |
| Thesis | Ein kinematisches Boxmodell zur Auswertung der Verteilung anthropogener Spurenstoffe in der Warmwassersphäre des Nordostatlantik (1985) |
Gerhard Thiele is a German scientist who became an astronaut! He was born on September 2, 1953. He used to work for the European Space Agency (ESA). His daughter, Insa Thiele-Eich, is also training to be an astronaut.
Contents
Becoming an Astronaut
Early Life and Learning
Gerhard Thiele was born in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Germany. He went to high school in Ludwigsburg. After school, he joined the German Navy. He worked on fast patrol boats.
In 1976, he started studying physics. He went to the University of Munich and the University of Heidelberg. In 1985, he earned his doctorate degree. His special area was environmental science.
Joining the Astronaut Team
From 1986 to 1987, Gerhard Thiele worked at Princeton University. In 1988, he was chosen to join the German astronaut team. He began his basic training at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
In 1990, he was picked as a backup astronaut. This was for the German Spacelab mission D-2 (STS-55). This mission happened in April 1993. During the mission, he helped from the ground. He worked at the DLR control center in Oberpfaffenhofen.
Training with NASA and ESA
In 1996, the German Space Agency chose him. He went to NASA for special training. He learned to be a Space Shuttle Mission Specialist.
In August 1998, he joined the European Space Agency (ESA). The German astronaut team became part of ESA.
Space Mission
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (STS-99)
In 2000, Gerhard Thiele flew into space for the first time. This was his only spaceflight. The mission was called STS-99. It was a Shuttle Radar Topography Mission.
The main goal of STS-99 was to map Earth's surface. They used a special radar system. This system created detailed 3D maps of our planet. These maps are very useful for science and planning.
Later Roles
After his space mission, Gerhard Thiele continued training. In 2003 and 2004, he trained in Russia. He was the backup for André Kuipers. This was for the Soyuz TMA-4 mission.
He retired from being an ESA astronaut in October 2005.
Later, in 2010, he became a Resident Fellow. This was at the European Space Policy Institute in Vienna, Austria. From July 2013, he led a special office at ESA. This office focused on human spaceflight planning.
