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 was born on May 23, 1958, in Frankfurt, West Germany. He is a retired European astronaut and a high-ranking officer in the German Air Force. Today, he works for the European Space Agency (ESA) as an advisor. Thomas Reiter is one of the astronauts who has spent the most time in space. He lives with his wife and two sons near Oldenburg in Germany.
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Becoming an Astronaut
Thomas Reiter finished high school in Neu-Isenburg in 1977. In 1982, he earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the Bundeswehr University Munich. This university later gave him an honorary doctorate degree in 2010. He also trained to become a pilot in both Germany and Texas, USA.
Space Missions and Career
Thomas Reiter has had an amazing career in space. He was an engineer on the Euromir 95/Soyuz TM-22 mission. This mission went to the Mir space station.
First Spacewalk
During his 179 days on the Mir station, he went on two spacewalks. This made him the first German astronaut to ever perform a spacewalk.
Soyuz Commander Training
From 1996 to 1997, he trained even more. He learned how to command a Soyuz spacecraft crew. This training allowed him to bring a three-person Soyuz crew back to Earth from space.
International Space Station Missions
He then trained for a six-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He was chosen to join Expedition 13 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. The launch was planned for July 1, 2006. However, bad weather delayed it until July 4, 2006.
Discovery left the ISS on July 15, but Thomas Reiter stayed. He continued his work on Expedition 13. Later, he became part of Expedition 14. He returned to Earth on Discovery during the STS-116 mission. He spent 171 days in space on this trip. This means he was in orbit twice, each time for almost half a year! The European Space Agency called his ISS mission Astrolab.
After Spaceflight
On August 8, 2007, Thomas Reiter joined the executive board of the DLR. From April 1, 2011, to December 2015, he was a director at the European Space Agency (ESA). He was in charge of all missions with and without people. This included running the European parts of the International Space Station. It also involved ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle and the European Astronaut Centre. Today, he works as an advisor to the Director General at ESA.
Awards and Recognitions
Thomas Reiter has received many honors for his work.
- 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) – for helping international space travel
- Honorary member of the Danish Astronautical Society
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Reiter para niños
