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The first Danish astronaut to be launched into space in 2015

Andreas Mogensen will participate in a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015. His tasks will include testing new technology, which will affect future space missions and can help shed light on illnesses here on Earth.

The Danish ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen has been selected for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2015. The planned mission will see him travel with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The 10-day mission will be Andreas Mogensen’s first voyage into space and the first ever space mission for a Danish astronaut. He will be working as a flight engineer during the mission.

Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education Morten Østergaard is looking forward to the event and points out that astronauts are a symbol of the human desire to explore and the ability to drive research, technology and innovation forward.

- Innovation, together with the will and desire to explore new territories and create results, is crucial for Denmark’s future. Andreas Mogensen is a pioneering example, and a Danish astronaut can inspire our young people to pursue education in technical and natural science fields. Denmark has, for decades, asserted itself and participated in collaborations for manned space travel and the international space station. It is therefore only natural and extremely gratifying to see the first Dane on a space mission, says Morten Østergaard.

During his mission, Andreas Mogensen will test new technologies that will prepare for future space missions and could also help with human illnesses on Earth.

- This mission is the fulfilment of a life-long dream and the culmination of many years of hard work and training. I am excited to be able to participate in ESA's outstanding programme of science and technology development on board the International Space Station and I am honoured to represent Denmark and Europe in space. The mission is a unique opportunity for Europe to develop and test the technologies necessary for the future of human space exploration, says Andreas Mogensen.

The director of the ESA’s manned spaceflight programme, former astronaut Thomas Reiter, places great emphasis on ESA Member States continued support for the ISS at the most recent Ministerial Council in 2012 as the reason for being able to send all ESA astronauts into space.

- I'm happy to announce Andreas Mogensen’s first mission. He will be the fifth flight assignment for the class of six recruited in 2009, says Thomas Reiter.

During his mission, Andreas Mogensen will test a new mobile communications device when in contact with Earth. It will allow astronauts to operate it hands-free and with several multi-user communication techniques. The system will have advanced 3D visualisation and augmented reality features that will allow the public to follow activities live on the ISS through the eyes of the astronauts.

Andreas Mogensen will also test a new generation of sensor and monitoring devices that when attached to the body, will monitor basic vital measurements. Furthermore, he will test an electro-muscle-mobility device which could be used on future missions to the moon and Mars.

The Danish ESA astronaut will also test a new 'skinsuit' during his time at the space station. The skinsuit is tight outfit made from elastic material, which will simulate Earth’s gravity and thus lessen some of the discomforts that the body is subject to with weightlessness, such as muscle loss and decalcification of bones.

About Andreas Mogensen

Andreas Mogensen, 36, has a Master’s degree in engineering from Imperial College London and a PhD from the University of Texas, Austin that focuses on the navigation, control and regulation of spacecraft. He is also an adjunct lecturer at DTU Space.

In 2009, the European Space Agency, ESA, selected Andreas Mogensen as the first Danish astronaut for its astronaut corps. He finished basic training in 2010 and since then has continued his mission training for the ISS in Europe, USA and Russia.

For further information please contact:

Minister Morten Østergaard: Head of Press Ingeborg Nielsen, tel. +45 2211 0200, email: imen@fivu.dk

Andreas Mogensen: ESA communication’s officer Rosita Suenson, +31 652 062 158, email: rosita.suenson@esa.int

Regarding Danish ESA membership: Senior Adviser Gorm Kofoed Petersen, tel. +45 4088 6360, email: gpe@fi.dk