German Astronaut Breaks European Spaceflight Record

German astronaut Thomas Reiter, representing the European Space Agency (ESA), pauses during an Aug. 3, 2006 spacewak for a photo by his Expedition 13 crewmate and fellow spacewalker Jeffrey Williams. Reiter has spent more time in space than any other ESA astronaut. CREDIT: NASA.

Germany has a new spaceflight champion in Thomas Reiter, who is now setting a daily record aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for the most time spent in space by a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut.

Now more than one month into his 175-day mission aboard the ISS, Reiter has passed the 212-day mark of career spaceflight time while orbiting the Earth as a flight engineer with the station's Expedition 13 crew. The milestone pushed Reiter ahead of former ESA spaceflight record-holder Jean-Pierre Haignere, of France, who spent 209 days, 12 hours, 25 minutes and 11 seconds in space.

"At the end of your mission, you will have spent [nearly] one year in space," Jean-Jacques Dordain, director-general for the ESA, told Reiter in a congratulatory message. "With this outstanding expertise and experience you - as our 'highest flying' colleague - symbolize Europe's commitment to space "We are extremely proud of your achievements and wish you the best of luck in your remaining time up there."

Reiter first launched into space in 1995 during the ESA's EuroMir 95 mission to Russia's space station Mir. During that flight, Reiter spent 179 days in orbit and staged two spacewalks - his space agency's first - on top of his experiment duties.

On July 6, 2006, Reiter became the first German astronaut to board the ISS and is the first long-duration spaceflyer from Europe to serve aboard the orbital laboratory. His Astrolab mission includes more than 20 research experiments that range from life sciences and biology to astrophysics and technology.

Last week, Reiter tucked another first under his belt as he became the first European astronaut to perform a spacewalk from the ISS, ESA officials said, adding that NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams led the extravehicular work. Russian cosmonaut and Expedition 13 commander Pavel Vinogradov remained inside the ISS during the spacewalk.

"I can tell you that every second of training is really worth the effort just to get up here," Reiter told Dordain in a recent space-to-ground call. "It's a great place to be."

The all-time spaceflight record sits securely in the hands of Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, who spent a total of 803 days in space - more than two years of his life altogether - during a series of six spaceflights beginning with a November 1988 launch toward the space station Mir and ending with 2005's Expedition 11 mission to the ISS.

The U.S. career spaceflight record is currently held by NASA astronaut Michael Foale - a native of England - who has flown six space missions and racked up 374 days in orbit before ending the successful Expedition 8 mission with an April 2004 landing.

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