The STS-78 Columbia mission, which launched on 20 June 1996, carried Jean-Jacques Favier into orbit for a sixteen-day flight that logged over 405 hours in space. This operation established a model for future research on the International Space Station by integrating microgravity studies with life science investigations during 271 Earth orbits.
Academic and Scientific Foundations
Born in 1949 in Kehl, Germany, Favier completed his primary and secondary schooling in Strasbourg. He pursued an extensive technical education in France, earning an engineering degree from the Grenoble Institute of Technology in 1971. By 1977, he secured two doctorates, one in engineering from Mines ParisTech and another in metallurgy and physics from Grenoble Alpes University. His professional tenure began at the French Atomic Energy Commission, where he served as a research engineer and led groups focused on solidification and crystal growth until 1993.
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Favier joined the Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales in 1983 and became a payload specialist candidate in 1985. His research focused on materials processing, leading him to propose the MEPHISTO project, a collaboration between the French space agency and NASA. He served as principal investigator for this experiment, which debuted on the United States Microgravity Payload in 1992. His international collaboration extended to the European Space Agency and the Russian Space Agency, overseeing more than ten space-based experiments.
Mission Operations and Later Career
Beyond his flight experience, Favier supported the STS-65 mission as a Crew Interface Coordinator at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. In 1996, he was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour. He later held roles as deputy director for space technology at CNES and directed research programs at the International Space University. He was also a co-founder of Blue Planet, a company focused on developing a constellation of micro-satellites for high-resolution remote imaging. He died in Albi in 2023.
Fast facts
- Born: 1949, Kehl
- Died: 19 March 2023, Albi
- Education: Mines ParisTech, Grenoble Institute of Technology
- Spaceflight: STS-78, 1996
- Awards: Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Occupations: Astronaut, engineer, physicist
Questions readers ask
Did Jean-Jacques Favier fly on the STS-107 mission?
He was scheduled to fly on STS-107 but chose to opt out of the mission.
What was the duration of his space flight?
Favier logged 405 hours and 48 minutes in space during the STS-78 mission.
Achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour — 1996
- Educated at Grenoble Alpes University, Mines ParisTech and Grenoble Institute of Technology
- Worked as astronaut, engineer and physicist
