List of German astronauts


The following is a list of German astronauts who have traveled into space, sorted by date of first flight.
As of 2018, eleven Germans have been in space. The first German, and only East German, in space was Sigmund Jähn in 1978. Three astronauts – Ulf Merbold, Reinhard Furrer and Ernst Messerschmid – represented West Germany during the time of divided Germany. Merbold made two other spaceflights after Germany was reunified in 1990; thus, he is the only German to have been in space three times. Thomas Reiter and Alexander Gerst are the only Germans to have made long-term spaceflights.
ImageNameMissionMission startMission durationSpace stationMission objectives
Sigmund JähnSoyuz 31 / Soyuz 297 daysSalyut 6
Ulf MerboldSTS-910 daysScientific experiments in the Spacelab Module
Ulf MerboldSTS-428 daysScientific experiments in the Spacelab Module
Ulf MerboldSoyuz TM-20 / Soyuz TM-1931 daysMir
Reinhard FurrerSTS-61-A 7 daysScientific experiments in the Spacelab Module, deployment of the Global Low Orbiting Message Relay Satellite
Ernst MesserschmidSTS-61-A 7 daysScientific experiments in the Spacelab Module, deployment of GLOMR
Klaus-Dietrich FladeSoyuz TM-14 / Soyuz TM-137 daysMir
Hans SchlegelSTS-55 9 daysScientific experiments in the Spacelab Module
Hans SchlegelSTS-12212 daysISSInstallation of the Columbus Orbital Facility
Ulrich WalterSTS-55 9 daysScientific experiments in the Spacelab Module
Thomas ReiterSoyuz TM-22 / Euromir 95179 daysMir
Thomas ReiterSTS-121 / Expedition 13 / Expedition 14 / STS-116171 daysISS
Reinhold EwaldSoyuz TM-25 / Soyuz TM-2419 daysMir
Gerhard ThieleSTS-9911 days Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, positionig of several satellites
Alexander GerstSoyuz TMA-13M / Expedition 40 / Expedition 41165 daysISS
Alexander GerstSoyuz MS-09 / Expedition 56 / Expedition 57197 daysISS