Philippe Perrin

Philippe Perrin
1999 ESA Group
Missions	STS-111
Mission insignia

Philippe Perrin (

Background

Perrin was born 6 January 1963, in

Prior to graduating from the École polytechnique, Perrin completed military duty in the French Navy, where he was trained in ship piloting and navigation, and spent six months at sea in the Indian Ocean. Following École polytechnique, he entered the French Air Force in 1985, was awarded his pilot's wings in 1986, and was assigned to the 33rd Reconnaissance Wing at Strasbourg Air Force Base (1987–1991). He flew the Mirage F1CR and made detachments in Africa and Saudi Arabia.^[1]

Perrin has flown 26

Perrin reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. Having completed two years of training and evaluation, he qualified for flight assignments as a mission specialist. Perrin was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Spacecraft Systems/Operations Branch.

He served as a mission specialist on the

After his flight, Perrin returned to France to work as support astronaut on the Automated Transfer Vehicle program. December 2002 he was transferred from CNES to the European Space Agency's astronaut corps.^[1]

He did not fly in space with ESA and left the European Astronaut Corps in 2004. He is currently working as a test pilot for Airbus.

Spaceflight experience

STS-111

• Awarded his pilot’s wings "first of his class" in 1996
• French Air Force Award for Flight Safety (2) in 1989
• French Overseas Medal (Gulf War, 1991)
• French National Defense Medal
  (2)
• Officier, Légion d'Honneur

Perrin is the only French astronaut to have received the Légion d'Honneur before flying in space as he became chevalier due to his actions while he was a military pilot. He was then elevated to the officier class after his space mission.

References

External links

• ESA profile page
• NASA biography of Perrin
• Spacefacts biography of Perrin