[BD] FW: Christer Fuglesang- MTA in Space!

[Barry O'Kane]

-----Original Message-----
From: WFDFMemberLink On Behalf Of Daniel Roddick
Sent: 05 December 2006 19:35


Associated Press: 

http://news.yahoo.com/s//ap/20061203/ap_on_sc/shuttle_crew
<http://news.yahoo.com/s//ap/20061203/ap_on_sc/shuttle_crew>  

Christer Fuglesang, European Space Agency 

Age: 49 

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden. 

Family: Married, three children. 

Once Discovery reaches 62 miles above Earth, Fuglesang will become the first
Swede in space, a title he has been working toward since 1992 when he joined
the European Space Agency. Along with Germany's Thomas Reiter, he was
selected for a joint mission between Europe and Russia in 1995 but ended up
being part of the back-up crew. 

"I realize there is a lot of interest in Sweden and I'm happy about that,"
he said. 

Fuglesang received a master's degree in engineering physics from the Royal
Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He earned a doctorate in experimental
particle physics from the University of Stockholm and later became a docent
in particle physics at the university. 

He joined the astronaut corps in 1996 and then went on to train on a Russian
Soyuz spacecraft, earning a certificate that would allow him to command a
Soyuz during a return trip to Earth. 

During Discovery's mission, he will conduct the first two spacewalks with
Curbeam. 

A former Swedish national Frisbee champion, Fuglesang plans to bring a
Frisbee up to space. During a live satellite link-up with children on Earth,
he'll try to set the record for maximum time aloft. Of course, he'll get an
assist from zero gravity.