Claudie Haigneré
Encyclopedia
Claudie Haigneré is a French
doctor, politician, and former astronaut
with the Centre National d'Études Spatiales
(1985–1999) and the European Space Agency (1999–2002).
at the Faculté de Médecine (Paris-Cochin) and Faculté des Sciences (Paris-VII). She went on to obtain certificates in biology
and sports medicine
(1981), aviation and space medicine
(1982), and rheumatology
(1984). In 1986 she received a diploma in the biomechanics
and physiology
of movement. She completed her PhD
thesis in neuroscience
in 1992.
participated. The asteroid
135268 Haigneré
is named in their combined honour. Haigneré visited the Mir
space station for 16 days in 1996, as part of the Russian-French Cassiopée
mission. In 2001, Haigneré became the first European woman to visit the International Space Station
, as part of the Andromède
mission. She retired from ESA on June 18, 2002.
's government. She was minister delegate for Research and New Technologies from 2002 to 2004 and minister delegate for European Affairs in 2004 to 2005.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
doctor, politician, and former astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
with the Centre National d'Études Spatiales
CNES
The is the French government space agency . Established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961, its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research...
(1985–1999) and the European Space Agency (1999–2002).
Background and training
Born in Le Creusot, France, Haigneré studied medicineMedicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at the Faculté de Médecine (Paris-Cochin) and Faculté des Sciences (Paris-VII). She went on to obtain certificates in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and sports medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
(1981), aviation and space medicine
Space medicine
Space medicine is the practice of medicine on astronauts in outer space whereas astronautical hygiene is the application of science and technology to the prevention or control of exposure to the hazards that may cause astronaut ill health. Both these sciences work together to ensure that...
(1982), and rheumatology
Rheumatology
Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists...
(1984). In 1986 she received a diploma in the biomechanics
Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells. Perhaps one of the best definitions was provided by Herbert Hatze in 1974: "Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological systems by means of...
and physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
of movement. She completed her PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
thesis in neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
in 1992.
Space career
Haigneré was a back-up crew member for the 1993 Mir Altaïr mission in which her future husband Jean-Pierre HaigneréJean-Pierre Haigneré
Jean-Pierre Haigneré is a French Air Force officer and a former CNES astronaut.Haigneré was born in Paris, France and joined the French Air Force, where he trained as a test pilot....
participated. The asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
135268 Haigneré
135268 Haigneré
135268 Haigneré is a Main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by Jean-Claude Merlin on September 20, 2001 at Le Creusot, France. Its provisional designation was 2001 SX115. It was named after Claudie and Jean-Pierre Haigneré, two French astronauts....
is named in their combined honour. Haigneré visited the Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
space station for 16 days in 1996, as part of the Russian-French Cassiopée
Cassiopeia (constellation)
Cassiopeia is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the vain queen Cassiopeia in Greek mythology, who boasted about her unrivalled beauty. Cassiopea was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today...
mission. In 2001, Haigneré became the first European woman to visit the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
, as part of the Andromède
Andromeda (constellation)
Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after Andromeda, the princess in the Greek legend of Perseus who was chained to a rock to be eaten by the sea monster Cetus...
mission. She retired from ESA on June 18, 2002.
Political career
Following her career as an astronaut, Haigneré entered French politics in Jean-Pierre RaffarinJean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
's government. She was minister delegate for Research and New Technologies from 2002 to 2004 and minister delegate for European Affairs in 2004 to 2005.