Article
Space Station Astronaut Frank De Winne on Europe, earth and...cycling
Research and innovation - 28-04-2010 - 17:21
- Amateur radio highlighted
- De Winne calls for more support for space research
European Space Agency-European Amateur Radio Benefitting Society event at the European Parliament, Brussels 20 April. Frank De Winne is seen on the top left.
International Space Station veterans Russia's Roman Romanenko, Canada's Robert Thirsk and Belgium's Frank De Winne were in Parliament Monday to open an exhibition about amateur radio. When in orbit they regularly spoke to school children via radio and during last June's European election Frank De Winne urged people to use their vote (unsurprisingly he voted by proxy!). We asked him about his experiences.
You encouraged people to vote in the European elections last June. What was your motivation to get the political message across?
I think that we need to support democracy and we can do it only when we vote for our representatives. I'm a strong believer that politicians, our representatives, really try to do their best for the society, try to improve society, try to improve things for European citizens. But it's only possible when we participate ourselves as well.
We don't have so many chances to participate in the decision-making process. Our opportunity comes through voting, and I think we should do it. I think it's really important that European citizens feel connected to Europe and participate in European decision making.
Back on earth, what are the questions you most like to answer?
For me personally - and it's really something that I'm engaged in and that I want to work in - it's the question: "why should Europe be involved in space exploration".
Frank De Winne
- Born 1961
- Career as pilot in the Belgian Air force and then from 2000 as astronaut
- First European to be chief of the International space station
We need to bring our European values to space exploration. Americans, Chinese, and Russians are going to continue space exploration. If we want to make sure that our European values are represented in space exploration, we should be present and we should be present at a high level so that we are heard.
I don't know what we are going to do (going to the Moon, Mars, asteroids), but we should be there. There should be Europeans on board and I think that we should have European technology that goes to Mars. We should have European scientists, engineers, control centres working in exploration.
A more personal question: Do people dream differently in space?
I rarely remember my dreams, but it's like my fellow astronaut Canadian Bob Thirsk says, sometimes you wake up down on earth and you realise that you dreamt about doing something in space, while when you are up there you dream about things that you would be doing down on earth with your kids and your family. I think it's just because you miss those things.
Would you like to go into space again?
Oh yes. If I had the opportunity I would for sure like to do it.
On the space station you rode a bike to keep fit. Do you still enjoy cycling now you're back home?
Absolutely! I mostly enjoy watching it. On the space station you can't watch it live. There are only a couple of things I don't want to miss in my life: watching the Tour of Flanders (he is from the region) and the Paris-Roubaix bikes races. It's just part of my culture. It's very good that people have their roots. Whatever they do, wherever they are in the world they should maintain their roots and stay connected to them.
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Also present at the exhibition was Czech Cosmonaut turned MEP Vladimir Remek who was the first non-American and non-Soviet person into space.
REF.: 20100426STO73421