Frank De Winne
Encyclopedia
Frank, Viscount De Winne (born 25 April 1961 in Ledeberg
, Belgium
) is a Belgian Air Component officer and an ESA
astronaut
. He is Belgium
's second person in space (after Dirk Frimout
). He was the first ESA astronaut to command a space mission when he served as commander of ISS Expedition 21
.
with the degree of Master of Sciences in Engineering (Polytechnics).
airplanes for the Air Force until he was attached to SAGEM in Paris
to work on the safety of the Mirage. In 1991, De Winne completed the Staff Course at the Defence College in Brussels
with the highest distinction. In 1992, De Winne received his degree as test pilot from the British Empire Test Pilots' School
in Boscombe Down
, receiving the McKenna Trophy as well.
From December 1992, Major of Royal Belgian Air Component De Winne operated as a test pilot
for the Belgian Air Force. From January 1994 until April 1995, he was responsible for flight safety of the 1st Fighter Wing operating from Beauvechain
. From April 1995 to July 1996, he was attached as senior test pilot to the European Participating Air Forces at Edwards Air Force Base
in California
where he worked on the mid-life update of the F16 aircraft, focusing on radar testing. From 1996 to August 1998, he was senior test pilot in the Belgian Air Force, responsible for all test programmes and for all pilot-vehicle interfaces for future aircraft/software updates.
On 12 February 1997 De Winne encountered engine problems while flying in an F-16 Fighting Falcon
over densely populated area near Leeuwarden. After the onboard computer failed, De Winne was faced with the choice of crashing in the IJsselmeer
or of ejecting over densely populated area. However, De Winne was able to land his crippled plane at a Dutch Air Base, a feat which earned him the Joe Bill Dryden Semper Viper Award, the first non-American ever to get this award.
In August 1998, De Winne became commander of the 349 Squadron operating from Kleine Brogel. During the NATO Operation Allied Force
in the Balkans
, De Winne commanded the Dutch-Belgian Deployable Air Task Force. He completed 17 combat sorties. For his achievement during this operation, the Dutch
government awarded him the degree of Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau
.
De Winne has collected over 2.300 flying hours in Mirage, F-16, Tornado and Jaguar. He also serves as the Chairman of the Belgian Armed Forces Flying Personnel Association.
He currently holds the rank of Brigadier-General.
. In January 2000, he joined the European Astronaut Corps, whose homebase is the European Astronaut Centre
in Cologne
, Germany. He provided technical support for the X38 Crew Return Vehicle project division within the Directorate of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, located at the European Space Research and Technology Centre
in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. In August 2001, De Winne took up training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center
near Moscow, Russia
. Training included elements of Basic Training for the International Space Station as well as training as a Soyuz flight engineer.
De Winne's first spaceflight (30 October - 10 November 2002) was a trip as a flight engineer to the International Space Station
in 2002, traveling to the station aboard Soyuz TMA-1
and returning aboard Soyuz TM-34
. During his time in space, De Winne carried out successfully a programme of 23 experiments in the fields of life and physical sciences and education.
He was the back-up crew member for Léopold Eyharts
of ISS Expedition 16
.
On 20 September 2007 ESA announced that De Winne will take part in a six month mission aboard the International Space Station in 2009. On 21 November 2008, NASA announced changes to the Expedition schedule, with De Winne becoming Commander of Expedition 21
. On 27 May 2009 De Winne launched aboard Soyuz TMA-15
, becoming the first astronaut from the European Space Agency to command a space mission.
during their 360° Tour
(and on the official DVD), in pre-recorded segments from the International Space Station, reciting lines from their songs "Your Blue Room
" and "In A Little While
".
Ledeberg
Ledeberg is a submunicipality of the city of Ghent. It lies south-east of downtown Ghent and has direct access to the E17 road.Its population is 13,974 inhabitants ....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) is a Belgian Air Component officer and an ESA
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
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....
. He is Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's second person in space (after Dirk Frimout
Dirk Frimout
Dirk Dries David Damiaan, Viscount Frimout is an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency. He flew aboard NASA Space Shuttle mision STS-45 as a payload specialist, making him the first Belgian in space....
). He was the first ESA astronaut to command a space mission when he served as commander of ISS Expedition 21
Expedition 21
Expedition 21 was the 21st long-duration mission to the International Space Station . The expedition began on 30 September 2009, with Frank de Winne becoming the first ESA astronaut to command a space mission....
.
Education
De Winne graduated in 1979 from the Royal School of Cadets. In 1984, he graduated from the Royal Military AcademyRoyal Military Academy (Belgium)
The Royal Military Academy is the military university of Belgium. The school is responsible for the education of the officers of the four components of the Belgian defence . The school is located in Brussels in a building construct by the architects Henri Maquet and Henri Van Dievoet...
with the degree of Master of Sciences in Engineering (Polytechnics).
Military career
De Winne followed the elementary flying school of the Belgian Air Component at Goetsenhoven. After graduating he flew Dassault Mirage 5Dassault Mirage 5
The Dassault Mirage 5 is a supersonic attack aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1960s, and manufactured in France and a number of other countries. It was derived from Dassault's popular Mirage III fighter, and spawned several variants of its own.-Early development:The...
airplanes for the Air Force until he was attached to SAGEM in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to work on the safety of the Mirage. In 1991, De Winne completed the Staff Course at the Defence College in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
with the highest distinction. In 1992, De Winne received his degree as test pilot from the British Empire Test Pilots' School
Empire Test Pilots' School
The Empire Test Pilots' School is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type...
in Boscombe Down
MoD Boscombe Down
MoD Boscombe Down is an aircraft testing site located at Idmiston, south of Amesbury, in Wiltshire, England. It is run and managed by QinetiQ, the company created as part of the breakup of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in 2001 by the UK Ministry of Defence...
, receiving the McKenna Trophy as well.
From December 1992, Major of Royal Belgian Air Component De Winne operated as a test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
for the Belgian Air Force. From January 1994 until April 1995, he was responsible for flight safety of the 1st Fighter Wing operating from Beauvechain
Beauvechain
Beauvechain is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 6,529 inhabitants. The total area is 38.58 km², giving a population density of 169 inhabitants per km²....
. From April 1995 to July 1996, he was attached as senior test pilot to the European Participating Air Forces at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where he worked on the mid-life update of the F16 aircraft, focusing on radar testing. From 1996 to August 1998, he was senior test pilot in the Belgian Air Force, responsible for all test programmes and for all pilot-vehicle interfaces for future aircraft/software updates.
On 12 February 1997 De Winne encountered engine problems while flying in an F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
over densely populated area near Leeuwarden. After the onboard computer failed, De Winne was faced with the choice of crashing in the IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer is a shallow artificial lake of 1100 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. The IJsselmeer is the largest lake in Western Europe....
or of ejecting over densely populated area. However, De Winne was able to land his crippled plane at a Dutch Air Base, a feat which earned him the Joe Bill Dryden Semper Viper Award, the first non-American ever to get this award.
In August 1998, De Winne became commander of the 349 Squadron operating from Kleine Brogel. During the NATO Operation Allied Force
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, De Winne commanded the Dutch-Belgian Deployable Air Task Force. He completed 17 combat sorties. For his achievement during this operation, the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
government awarded him the degree of Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
.
De Winne has collected over 2.300 flying hours in Mirage, F-16, Tornado and Jaguar. He also serves as the Chairman of the Belgian Armed Forces Flying Personnel Association.
He currently holds the rank of Brigadier-General.
Astronaut career
In October 1998, Frank De Winne was selected as an astronaut candidate by the European Space AgencyEuropean Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
. In January 2000, he joined the European Astronaut Corps, whose homebase is the European Astronaut Centre
European Astronaut Centre
The European Astronaut Centre is a centre of the European Space Agency and home of the European Astronaut Corps. It is located in Cologne, Germany, and is sub-divided in to four separate arms, these being Training, Medicine, Education and PR, and Astronaut Management...
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany. He provided technical support for the X38 Crew Return Vehicle project division within the Directorate of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, located at the European Space Research and Technology Centre
European Space Research and Technology Centre
The European Space Research and Technology Centre is the European Space Agency's main technology development and test centre for spacecraft and space technology. It is situated in Noordwijk, South Holland, in the western Netherlands....
in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. In August 2001, De Winne took up training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center
Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center
The Yu. A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center is a Russian training facility responsible for training cosmonauts for their space missions...
near Moscow, Russia
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Training included elements of Basic Training for the International Space Station as well as training as a Soyuz flight engineer.
De Winne's first spaceflight (30 October - 10 November 2002) was a trip as a flight engineer to 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...
in 2002, traveling to the station aboard Soyuz TMA-1
Soyuz TMA-1
-Mission parameters:*Mass: 7,220 kg , gross *Perigee: 193 km *Apogee: 235 km *Inclination: 51.6° *Period: 88.7 minutes-Docking with ISS:*Docked to ISS: November 1, 2002, 05:01 UTC...
and returning aboard Soyuz TM-34
Soyuz TM-34
Soyuz TM-34 was the fourth Soyuz mission to the International Space Station . Soyuz TM-34 was launched by a Soyuz-U launch vehicle.-Crew:-Docking with ISS:*Docked to ISS: April 27, 2002, 07:55 UTC...
. During his time in space, De Winne carried out successfully a programme of 23 experiments in the fields of life and physical sciences and education.
He was the back-up crew member for Léopold Eyharts
Léopold Eyharts
Léopold Eyharts is a Brigadier General in the French Air Force and an ESA astronaut.-Background:Eyharts was born April 28, 1957, in Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France...
of ISS Expedition 16
Expedition 16
Expedition 16 was the 16th expedition to the International Space Station .The first two crew members, Yuri Malenchenko and Peggy Whitson, launched on 10 October 2007, aboard Soyuz TMA-11, and were joined by spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, the first Malaysian in space.Expedition 15...
.
On 20 September 2007 ESA announced that De Winne will take part in a six month mission aboard the International Space Station in 2009. On 21 November 2008, NASA announced changes to the Expedition schedule, with De Winne becoming Commander of Expedition 21
Expedition 21
Expedition 21 was the 21st long-duration mission to the International Space Station . The expedition began on 30 September 2009, with Frank de Winne becoming the first ESA astronaut to command a space mission....
. On 27 May 2009 De Winne launched aboard Soyuz TMA-15
Soyuz TMA-15
Soyuz TMA-15 was a manned spaceflight to the International Space Station. Part of the Soyuz programme, it transported three members of the Expedition 20 crew to the space station. TMA-15 was the 102nd manned flight of a Soyuz spacecraft, since Soyuz 1 in 1967. The Soyuz spacecraft remain docked to...
, becoming the first astronaut from the European Space Agency to command a space mission.
Honors and awards
- Officer of the Order of Leopold
-
Officer of the Order of the CrownOrder of the Crown (Belgium)The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts... - Officer of the Order of Leopold IIOrder of Leopold IIThe Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system...
- Military Cross 1st classMilitary Cross (Belgium)The Military Cross is a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 11 February 1885 and is awarded to commissioned officers in the Belgian Armed Forces for loyal and uninterrupted service. Officers of the military reserve can also be awarded this decoration, on the condition that they...
- Campaign Medal for foreign operationsCommemorative Medal for Foreign Operation or MissionThe Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operation or Mission is a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 13 April 1993 and is awarded to military and civilian members of the Belgian Defence who participated in operations or missions outside of the territory of Belgium.- Insigna :The...
-
Officer of the Order of Oranje-NassauOrder of Orange-NassauThe Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for... - NATO Medal for KosovoNATO MedalThe NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It is manufactured by Eekelers - Centini, International, of Hemiksem, Belgium...
-
Order of FriendshipOrder of FriendshipThe Order of Friendship is a state decoration of Russia established by decree # 442 of March 2, 1994 of the President of the Russian Federation....
(Russian Federation). - McKenna Trophy
- Joe Bill Dryden Semper Viper Award
- On 20 December 2002 Frank De Winne was ennobled a viscountViscountA viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
in the Belgian nobilityBelgian nobilityIn the Kingdom of Belgium there are at the moment approximately 1,300 noble families. Some 20,000 individuals are titled. The noble lineage of only ca. 400 families dates back to the 17th century. As Belgium is a democratic constitutional monarchy there are no legal privileges attached to bearing a...
as a reward for his space achievements. - In 2003, De Winne received an honorary doctorate from Hasselt UniversityHasselt UniversityHasselt University is a university with campuses in Hasselt and Diepenbeek, Belgium. It was founded in 1971, as the Limburgs Universitair Centrum...
.
Personal
De Winne is married to Lena Clarke. He has three children from a previous marriage. He enjoys football, small PC applications and gastronomy. De Winne has appeared in concert with rock band U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
during their 360° Tour
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
(and on the official DVD), in pre-recorded segments from the International Space Station, reciting lines from their songs "Your Blue Room
Your Blue Room
"Your Blue Room" is a song by Passengers, a group composed of rock band U2 and producer Brian Eno. It is the third track on the group's only release, the 1995 album Original Soundtracks 1. The track was written for the 1995 Michelangelo Antonioni–Wim Wenders film Beyond the Clouds...
" and "In A Little While
In a Little While
"In a Little While" is the sixth track from U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind.-History:The song came out of a jam with the band during the All That You Can't Leave Behind sessions. Bono has noted that his voice was in terrible shape at the time of the recording of this song...
".