Léopold Eyharts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Léopold Eyharts
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Eyharts in 2007
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| Born | 28 April 1957 Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
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| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Test pilot |
| Awards |    |
| Space career | |
| CNES/ESA astronaut | |
| Rank | Brigadier General, French Air Force |
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Time in space
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68d 21h 31min |
| Selection | 1990 CNES Group 3, 1998 ESA Group |
| Missions | Soyuz TM-27/26, STS-122/123 (Expedition 16) |
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Mission insignia
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Léopold "Leo" Eyharts (born April 28, 1957) is a French Brigadier General in the French Air Force. He is also an engineer and an ESA astronaut. He has flown to space two times. His missions included visits to the Mir space station and the International Space Station.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Léopold Eyharts was born in Biarritz, France, on April 28, 1957. He studied to become an engineer at the French Air Force Academy. He graduated from there in 1979.
Later, in 1988, he finished test pilot school. This means he learned how to fly and test new airplanes. This training was very important for his future as an astronaut.
Space Missions
Léopold Eyharts has traveled to space on two different missions.
Mir Space Station Mission
His first space mission was to the Mir space station. Mir was a famous Russian space station. Astronauts lived and worked there for many years.
International Space Station Mission
Eyharts went to space again on February 7, 2008. He flew on the Space Shuttle mission STS-122. He joined the crew of Expedition 16 on the International Space Station (ISS).
While on the ISS, he helped set up the Columbus module. This module is a special European science lab on the ISS. It allows astronauts to do many experiments in space. He returned to Earth in March 2008 on mission STS-123.
Awards and Honors
Léopold Eyharts has received several important awards for his work. These awards recognize his bravery and contributions to space exploration.
- Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur (France)
- Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite (France)
- Médaille d'Outre-Mer (France)
- Silver National Defence Medal (France)
- Cavalier of the Order of Courage (Russia)
- Cavalier of the Order of Friendship (Russia)
- The medal "For merits in development of space" (Russia)
See also
In Spanish: Léopold Eyharts para niños
