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TV Productions & Events (last update 09 May 2011)
ESA Directorate of Human Spaceflight
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On her official visit to the Netherlands on 3 May, the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, included a visit to ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centere (ESTEC). She was warmly welcomed by ESA Directors and Irish staff working on site.
Mary McAleese was welcomed by Franco Ongaro, Head of Establishment at ESTEC and Director of Technical and Quality Management (D/TEC), and Directors Magali Vaissière (D/TIA) and Thomas Reiter (D/HSO), who gave a general presentation of ESA and highlighted Irish involvement. Franco Ongaro said that, "Ireland is among our founding Member States, and as such is involved in strategic decisions, in the implementation of Agency programmes and activities and in the way the Agency and the European Space Policy will evolve in the future." During her brief visit, the President was taken on a tour of the Concurrent Design Facility (CDF), the Test Centre and the Erasmus Centre. Thomas Reiter also showed her a training model of the Columbus module of the ISS. Towards the end of the visit, the President greeted the 40 Irish staff and contractors working at ESTEC and concluded by saying, "I am impressed with what I have seen, and you should all be very proud of what you do to prepare the future for our children and grandchildren." The President and her husband Dr McAleese then signed ESA's golden book and wrote, "Take us all with you on your journey to the future!" |
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The Directorate of Human Spaceflight: Achievements of 2010
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HSF Achievements July - December 2010
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Summer has been very busy for ESA astronauts with three of them training at Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas for future missions aboard the International Space Station.
Even though European astronauts Paolo Nespoli and Roberto Vittori of Italian nationality and André Kuipers from the Netherlands have all already visited the ISS, extensive training is always needed when going into space. Paolo Nespoli is scheduled for six months aboard the ISS starting next December 2010. A mission of similar duration will be carried out by André Kuipers roughly a year later. Both astronauts will travel to the station in Russian Soyuz modules. Roberto Vittori will be the last non-US astronaut to be carried to the ISS by a NASA Space Shuttle on a flight opportunity of the Italian Space Agency in 2011. |
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Overview of the Lunar Lander Programme
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Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES)
Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) is an ESA mission in fundamental physics based on the performances of a new generation of atomic clocks operated in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). For more information about ACES: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ |
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HSF Achievements Jan-Jun 2010
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Columbus Laboratory Tour
with Frank De Winne (2009) |
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ISS Tour
with Frank De Winne (2009) |
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HSF Achievements in 2009
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Intervista con Simonetta Di Pippo, Direttrice Voli Umani, su AMS-02 (Versione Italiana)
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Interview with the ESA Director of Human Spaceflight, Simonetta Di Pippo, on AMS-02
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