Born: May 13, 1957 (Le Creusot, France)
Biography:
Claudie Haigneré, born Claudie André-Deshays on May 13, 1957, is a renowned French doctor, politician, and former astronaut. She made significant contributions to the field of space exploration with her work at the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) from 1985 to 1999 and the European Space Agency (ESA) from 1999 to 2002.
Born in Le Creusot, France, Claudie Haigneré pursued her education in medicine at the Faculté de Médecine (Paris-Cochin) and Faculté des Sciences (Paris-VII). As she progressed in her studies, she obtained certificates in biology, sports medicine, aviation medicine and space medicine, and rheumatology. Her thirst for knowledge led her to complete a diploma in the biomechanics and physiology of movement in 1986. She then earned her doctorates in rheumatology in 1984 and neuroscience in 1992.
Haigneré’s remarkable space career began when she was selected as one of only seven candidates, including six men and herself, out of 10,000 applicants for France’s space center. After qualifying as an engineer and emergency pilot for the Space Shuttle, she served as a back-up crew member for the 1993 Mir Altaïr mission, which her future husband, Jean-Pierre Haigneré, participated in. In honor of their collaboration, the asteroid 135268 Haigneré was named after them.
In 1994, Claudie Haigneré embarked on training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, for the Franco-Russian Cassiopée mission. This intensive training also involved learning the Russian language. On August 17, 1996, she made history as the first French woman to journey into space. Accompanied by Russian cosmonauts Valery Korzun and Aleksandr Kaleri, she launched aboard the Soyuz TM-24 on the Russian-French Cassiopée mission. During her 16-day visit to the Mir space station, she conducted extensive experiments in physiology and developmental biology, fluid physics, and technology.
Continuing to break barriers, in 1999, Claudie Haigneré commanded a Soyuz capsule during reentry, becoming the first woman qualified to do so. Two years later, in 2001, she achieved another milestone by becoming the first European woman to visit the International Space Station as the flight engineer on Soyuz TM-33.
After her remarkable achievements in space, Haigneré transitioned to a political career, serving in the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin. From 2002 to 2004, she held the position of Minister Delegate for Research and New Technologies. Subsequently, she succeeded Noëlle Lenoir as the Minister Delegate for European Affairs from 2004 to 2005.
Additionally, Haigneré played a crucial role in various organizations related to science and space exploration. In 2009, she was appointed as the founding director of Universcience and also held the position of advisor to the Director General of the ESA. In 2015, she resumed her role as a special advisor to the ESA’s Director General. Furthermore, Haigneré accepted the prestigious position of chairing the Jury of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, an annual pan-African student competition.
Claudie Haigneré’s accomplishments as an astronaut, combined with her contributions to politics and science, make her a trailblazer and an inspiration to many. Her dedication to pushing boundaries and advancing knowledge in space exploration has left an indelible mark on society.