Patrick Baudry 2nd French astronaut Date of Birth: 06.03.1946 Country: France

1. Patrick Baudry: France's Second Astronaut
2. Early Life and Military Career
3. Imperial Test Pilot School
4. Flight Test Center and Pilot Training
5. Space Preparation
6. Soviet-French Space Mission
7. Franco-American Space Mission
8. Discovery STS-51G Mission
9. Post-Flight Career
10. Personal Life

Patrick Baudry: France's Second Astronaut

Patrick Baudry holds the distinction of being France's second astronaut. His groundbreaking journey into space aboard the Discovery shuttle in June 1985 cemented his legacy in the annals of exploration.

Early Life and Military Career

Born into a military family, Baudry pursued a career in aviation. He graduated from the École de l'Air in 1967, completing his flight training by 1970. As a fighter pilot, he flew F-100 and Jaguar aircraft with the Escadrille 1/11 "Roussillon," logging numerous missions over Africa.

Imperial Test Pilot School

In 1978, Baudry honed his piloting skills at the Empire Test Pilots' School in Boscombe Down, England. Flying Hunter, Harrier, and Lightning aircraft, he gained valuable experience that would serve him well later on.

Flight Test Center and Pilot Training

Upon returning to France, Baudry joined the flight test center at Brétigny-sur-Orge. There, he tested Mirage, Jaguar, and Crusader aircraft, accumulating over 4,000 flight hours, including 3,300 on more than 100 types of jet aircraft. He also held a transport aircraft pilot's license.

Space Preparation

In 1979, Baudry was selected as one of five finalists for CNES's astronaut program to participate in the first Soviet-French space mission. He underwent rigorous training, focusing on parachute jumps and mastering the Russian language.

Soviet-French Space Mission

In 1980, Baudry was chosen as Jean-Louis Crétien's backup crew member for the Soyuz T-6 mission to the Salyut 7 space station. He supported Crétien during his historic flight in 1982, maintaining contact as his backup at Mission Control.

Franco-American Space Mission

In 1984, Baudry joined Crétien for the first Franco-American space mission. He was initially appointed as a payload specialist but was later transferred to the Discovery STS-51G crew.

Discovery STS-51G Mission

Launched on June 17, 1985, the Discovery STS-51G mission deployed four satellites: Morelos-A (Mexican), Arabsat-1B (Arab), Telstar-303 (Telstar-3D), and Spartan-201-1 (American). Baudry spent 7 days, 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 52 seconds in space, completing 112 orbits around Earth.

Post-Flight Career

After his space mission, Baudry retired and became a test pilot for Airbus. In 1989, he established the Space Camp in Cannes-la-Bocca to educate children about space exploration. He later became an expert on CNES's Hermes piloted space program, which was ultimately canceled. Currently, Baudry enjoys his retirement in Aquitaine.

Personal Life

Baudry is a family man with three children and enjoys technical sports such as motorcycle and car racing, marathon running, skiing, windsurfing, and skydiving. He is also an avid wine connoisseur.