N° 24–2009: First European Commander of the International Space Station – Media Opportunity
6 October 2009
ESA astronaut Frank De Winne will become the first European Commander of the International Space Station this weekend, after the current Commander Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka has left the ISS. Padalka’s Soyuz spacecraft is scheduled to undock this Sunday night from the orbital outpost. De Winne is the first non-American and non-Russian to take on this role.
A symbolic change-of-command ceremony will be held in advance onboard the ISS this Friday.
On 13 October, the European Space Agency will be organising an in-flight call opportunity for the media to talk to the newly-appointed European ISS Commander at the Columbus Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, Germany.
Media registration starts at 14:30. The programme will feature presentations by ESA Director of Human Spaceflight Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA Director of Operations & Infrastructure Gaele Winters and the Chairman of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Johann-Dietrich Wörner.
Programme
14.30 Registration
15.00 Presentations by representatives of ESA and DLR
16.00 In-flight call
16.20 Question & Answer session
17.00 End
Media who wish to participate to the in-flight call opportunity at the ESA Columbus Control Centre at DLR/GSOC Oberpfaffenhofen are kindly requested to send the attached reply form to:
ESA/ESOC
Melanie Zander
melanie.zander@esa.int
Tel: +49 6151 902 516
Fax: +49 6151 902 961
First European Commander of the International Space Station
Media Opportunity
ESA Columbus Control Centre at DLR/GSOC Oberpfaffenhofen
Münchner Straße 20, 82234-Wessling, Germany
Opening hours 14:30 – 17:00
First name:___________________ Last name:___________________
Media: ____________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________
Tel:___________________________ Fax: ______________________
Mobile:_______________________ Email: ___________________
I shall be attending the in-flight call event on Tuesday 13 October at:
ESA Columbus Control Centre at DLR/GSOC Oberpfaffenhofen
Münchner Straße 20, 82234-Wessling, Germany
Opening hours 14:30 – 17:00
Contact: Melanie Zander, Tel: +49 6151 902 516, Fax: +49 6151 902 961
For further information:
ESA Media Relations Office
Tel: +33.1.5369.7299
Fax: +33.1.5369.7690