German astronaut team

The German astronaut team was established in 1987, until it became part of the European Astronaut Corps in 1998. Before the establishment of the team German astronauts were selected for single missions, or as part of the ESA manned spaceflight activities.

Astronauts before 1990s

In 1976 East Germany selected Sigmund Jähn and Eberhard Köllner as the participants of Intercosmos missions to the Soviet Salyut 6 space station. Jähn flew in 1978 on Soyuz 31.

1978 ESA selected a first group of astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle on Spacelab missions. Among this first group was Ulf Merbold, who then also flew the first Spacelab mission STS-9. In the second ESA selection 1992 Thomas Reiter was selected.

For the first German sponsored Spacelab mission D-1 Reinhard Furrer and Ernst Messerschmid were selected in 1983, both flew on STS-61-A in 1985.

Astronaut team

The astronaut team was established in 1987 as part of the preparation for the second German sponsored Spacelab mission D-2. The group consisted of 5 astronaut candidates, of which Hans Schlegel and Ulrich Walter flew on STS-55 in 1993, Gerhard Thiele flew on a later space shuttle mission STS-99, then as a member of the unified ESA astronaut corps, while only the two women never did any spaceflight. Hans Schlegel flew his second mission STS-122 in 2008 also as a member of the unified ESA astronaut corps.
*Renate Brümmer
*Hans Schlegel
*Gerhard Thiele
*Heike Walpot
*Ulrich Walter

For a German mission to the space station Mir two cosmonauts were selected in 1990, and were also included into the German team. Klaus-Dietrich Flade flew on Soyuz TM-14 in 1992, Reinhold Ewald on a second Mir mission on Soyuz TM-25in February 1997.
*Reinhold Ewald
*Klaus-Dietrich Flade

European Corps

Gerhard Thiele and Hans Schlegel were the first two German astronauts to be included in the European Astronaut Corps in 1998; 1999 Reinhold Ewald joined as well.