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 28 April 1957) is a French astronaut and engineer. He was also a Brigadier General in the French Air Force. Leo Eyharts flew into space two times. He visited both the Mir space station and the International Space Station (ISS).
Contents
Early Life and Training
Léopold Eyharts was born in Biarritz, France, on April 28, 1957. He studied to become an engineer. In 1979, he graduated from the French Air Force Academy. Later, in 1988, he finished test pilot school. A test pilot flies new aircraft to make sure they work correctly and safely.
Space Missions
Léopold Eyharts has had an exciting career in space. He completed two important missions.
First Space Flight: Mir Station
His first trip to space was in 1998. He flew on a Soyuz TM-27 spacecraft to the Mir space station. Mir was a Russian space station that orbited Earth for many years. During his time there, he helped with scientific experiments. He spent about three weeks in space on this mission.
Second Space Flight: International Space Station
Eyharts' second mission was to the International Space Station (ISS). He launched on the Space Shuttle mission STS-122 on February 7, 2008. On the ISS, he joined the crew of Expedition 16.
His main job was to help install and set up the Columbus module. The Columbus module is a special laboratory built by Europe. It allows astronauts to do many science experiments in space. After helping with this important work, he returned to Earth in March 2008 on the STS-123 mission.
Awards and Recognitions
Léopold Eyharts has received several awards for his service and achievements. These honors come from both France and Russia.
- 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)
- Medal "For merits in development of space" (Russia)
External Links
- ESA profile page
- Spacefacts biography of Léopold Eyharts
See also
In Spanish: Léopold Eyharts para niños
