View source for Léopold Eyharts

{{Short description|French astronaut, engineer and brigadier general (born 1957)}}
{{Infobox astronaut
| name          = Léopold Eyharts
| image         = Leopold eyharts v2.jpg
| caption       = Eyharts in 2007
| type          = [[CNES]]/[[ESA]] astronaut
| status        = Retired
| nationality   = French
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1957|04|28|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Biarritz]], [[Pyrénées-Atlantiques]], France
| occupation    = [[Test pilot]]
| rank          = [[Brigadier General]], [[French Air Force]]
| time          = 68d 21h 31min
| selection     = [[List of astronauts by selection#1990|1990 CNES Group 3]], [[List of astronauts by selection#1998|1998 ESA Group]]
| mission       = [[Soyuz TM-27]]/[[Soyuz TM-26|26]], [[STS-122]]/[[STS-123|123]] ([[Expedition 16]])
| insignia      = [[File:PegaseSoyuzTM27svg.svg|55px]] [[File:STS-122 patch.svg|55px]] [[File:ISS Expedition 16 Patch.svg|55px]] [[File:STS-123 patch.png|60px]]
| awards        = [[File:Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg|40 px|link=Legion of Honour]] [[File:RUS Order of Courage ribbon.svg|40 px|link=Order of Courage (Russia)]] [[File:Orden of Friendship.png|40 px|link=Order of Friendship]]
|}}

'''Léopold "Leo" Eyharts''' (born 28 April 1957) is a [[French people|French]] [[Brigadier General]] in the [[French Air Force]], an [[engineer]] and [[ESA]] [[astronaut]]. He has flown to space two times as part of a [[Mir]] expedition<ref>{{cite web|title=Soyuz TM-27 Kristall|url=http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tm27.htm|website=spacefacts.de|access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref> and an [[International Space Station]] expedition.

Eyharts was born on 28 April 1957 in [[Biarritz]], [[Northern Basque Country|Basque Country]], France. He graduated as an [[engineer]] from the [[French Air Force Academy]] of [[Salon-de-Provence]] in 1979, and graduated from the [[École du personnel navigant d'essais et de réception]] (EPNER) French test pilot school in Istres in 1988.<ref name="bioesa">{{cite web|url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Leopold_Eyharts |title=ESA Astronaut Leopold Eyharts Bio|website=ESA|access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref>

He launched on board Space Shuttle mission [[STS-122]] to the International Space Station on 7 February 2008, where he joined [[Expedition 16]].<ref>{{cite news|title=ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts assigned to European Columbus laboratory mission to the ISS|date=February 13, 2007 |url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/ESA_astronaut_Leopold_Eyharts_assigned_to_European_Columbus_laboratory_mission_to_the_ISS|website=ESA
|access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref> He participated in the installation and configuration of the [[Columbus (ISS module)|Columbus]] European laboratory module.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Columbus/Leopold_Eyharts_the_man_who_will_bring_Columbus_to_life |title=Léopold Eyharts, the man who will bring Columbus to life|website=ESA|access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref> He returned to Earth aboard mission [[STS-123]] in March 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Leopold Eyharts Biography|url=https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4225/documentation/mir-summaries/nasa7/biographies/biographies.htm#eyharts|website=NASA|access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
* Chevalier of the [[Légion d'honneur]]
* Chevalier of the [[Ordre national du Mérite]]
* [[Overseas Medal|Médaille d'Outre-Mer]]
* [[National Defence Medal|Silver National Defence Medal]]
* Cavalier of the [[Order of Courage (Russia)|Order of Courage]] (Russia)
* Cavalier of the [[Order of Friendship]] (Russia)
* The medal "For merits in development of space" (12 April 2011) for his outstanding contribution to the development of international cooperation in crewed space flight

==References==
{{Include-NASA}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Astronauts/Leopold_Eyharts ESA profile page]
* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/international/english/eyharts_leopold.htm Spacefacts biography of Léopold Eyharts]

{{ESA Astronaut Groups}}
{{NASA Astronaut Group 17}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eyharts, Leopold}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Biarritz]]
[[Category:French-Basque people]]
[[Category:French aviators]]
[[Category:French spationauts]]
[[Category:ESA astronauts]]
[[Category:Crew members of the International Space Station]]
[[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite]]
[[Category:École de l'air alumni]]
[[Category:French Air Force generals]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle program astronauts]]
[[Category:Mir crew members]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Courage (Russia)]]
[[Category:CNES personnel]]

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