Thomas Reiter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Arthur Reiter
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| Born | 23 May 1958 |
| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Test pilot |
| Awards |    |
| Space career | |
| ESA astronaut | |
| Rank | Brigadier General, Luftwaffe (Bundeswehr) |
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Time in space
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350d 05h 44min |
| Selection | 1992 ESA Group |
| Missions | Soyuz TM-22, (Euromir 95), STS-121/116 (Expedition 13/14) |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | September 30, 2007 |
Thomas Arthur Reiter (born May 23, 1958) is a German astronaut. He worked for the European Space Agency (ESA). He is also a Brigadier General in the German Air Force. Thomas Reiter is known for spending a lot of time in space. He is one of the top astronauts for total time spent orbiting Earth. Today, he works as an advisor for ESA. He lives with his family in Germany.
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Becoming an Astronaut
Thomas Reiter finished high school in 1977. He then studied aerospace engineering at the Bundeswehr University Munich. He earned his degree in 1982. Later, in 2010, the university gave him an honorary doctorate degree. He also trained to become a pilot in both Germany and Texas.
Space Missions and Adventures
Thomas Reiter has been on two important space missions. He spent a long time living and working in space.
First Space Journey: Mir Space Station
His first mission was to the Mir space station. This mission was called Euromir 95/Soyuz TM-22. He worked as an engineer on board. He stayed on Mir for 179 days.
During this mission, he went on two spacewalks. A spacewalk is when an astronaut leaves the spacecraft to work outside. Thomas Reiter was the first German astronaut to ever do a spacewalk.
Training for Soyuz Spacecraft
After his Mir mission, he received more training. Between 1996 and 1997, he learned how to fly the Soyuz spacecraft. He earned a special certificate. This certificate allowed him to command a three-person Soyuz crew. He could bring them safely back to Earth from space.
Second Space Journey: International Space Station
Thomas Reiter then trained for another long mission. This time, he would go to the International Space Station (ISS). His mission was called Astrolab by the European Space Agency. He launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-121 mission.
The launch happened on July 4, 2006. Discovery left him on the ISS on July 15. He joined Expedition 13 and later Expedition 14. He worked on the space station for 171 days. He returned to Earth on Discovery during the STS-116 mission. This meant he had spent almost half a year in orbit twice!
After His Astronaut Career
After his space missions, Thomas Reiter took on new roles. In August 2007, he became a member of the executive board for the German Aerospace Center (DLR). From April 2011 to December 2015, he was a director at ESA. He was in charge of all missions with and without crews. This included managing the European parts of the ISS. Today, he works as an advisor to the Director General at ESA.
Awards and Recognition
Thomas Reiter has received many awards for his achievements. These awards recognize his contributions to space exploration.
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2007)
- Bavarian Medal Europe (2008)
- Honorary doctorate from the Bundeswehr University Munich (2010)
- Order of Friendship from Russia (1996)
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" from Russia (2011)
- Honorary membership in the Danish Astronautical Society
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Reiter para niños
