photographist

“Magic and amazement were the feelings I had when I saw the first steps of the Man on the Moon in 1969. Those feelings were still with me when I applied as an astronaut candidate. I am a Rheumatologist and I had the opportunity to be selected to be in charge of implementing scientific programs aboard space stations. In my very first spatial mission, I was a scientist cosmonaut researcher in a microgravity laboratory. For the second mission, and after some successive training in the Star City near Moscow, I obtained a certification to become an engineer in both the Soyuz spacecraft and the international space station. This could have an effect on the systems engineering of space stations. The training was long, physical, practical, and theoretical. There was a lot of course work and theories to learn in Russian. I spent ten years of my life in Russia.

In 2000, the international space station started its construction programme. As of today, the station is in a low earth orbit about 400 km above the Earth’s surface. It has been permanently inhabited by crews of six persons for six month missions. The Soyuz spacecraft that is on top of the Soyuz rocket is the only way to access the International Space Station. The Ariane 5 rocket is a cargo freighter and brings supplies to the international space station. Although we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Valentina Tereshkova’s historical flight into space, just few women opt for those jobs. Female astronauts still represent 10 percent of the total number of astronauts. Yet, I really felt that my differences as a woman could bring added value in resolving complicated problems in a simulator or proposing complex solutions.”

Claudie Haigneré
Chairwoman of Universcience

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