Christer Fuglesang — Sweden´s First Astronaut in Space
Biography
Christer Fuglesang is the only Swede in the European astronaut corps, which he has been a member of since 1992. On Sunday, 10 December 2006 at 02:47 local Swedish time, Fuglesang was launched into space. His greatest dream would be fulfilled, including three spacewalks at the International Space Station (ISS). The space shuttle, with Sweden ´s only astronaut — and the first Swede in space — landed at Florida´s Kennedy Space Centre on 22 December 2006. Congratulations, Christer! Christer Fuglesang was born in Stockholm in 1957. He studied physics at the Royal Technical University. In 1987 he defended his thesis in experimental particle physics at Stockholm University and in 1991 he was awarded his doctorate and made an Associate Professor. Fuglesang began his astronaut training with the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1992.
He is the first European astronaut with both Russian and American space training. Between 1993 and 1996 Fuglesang trained at Russia ´s “StarCity" and received his certification to command their Soyuz-type spacecraft. He was also on the back-up crew for the six month-long Euromir 95 mission, which took place on the Russian space station, Mir. In 1996 Fuglesang was transferred by ESA to NASA´s Johnson Space Centre Astronaut Office in Houston ,Texas.
Fuglesang finished his formal astronaut training with NASA in April 1998 with competence as a NASA Mission Specialist on the American space shuttle. He was then assigned by ESA to remain at NASA´s Astronaut Office in the United States.
(Source: Swedish National Space Board)
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