Pokud se někdo k mému reportu připojí, můžeme to soudruhům z NDR možná natřít :-)
To: media@esa.int
Subject: Report of misleading information on one of esa.int pages
Dear ESA,
I am big, lifelong fan of space exploration. This is probably why I noticed mislealading information on one of public web pages of ESA:
ESA - A history of European astronaut selectionhttps://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/European_Astronaut_Selection_2008/A_history_of_European_astronaut_selection"It was 17 years later in 1978 that Europe created its own human spaceflight history when Sigmund Jähn from Germany (former GDR) became the first European in space* being launched on the Soyuz 31 spacecraft to the Salyut 6 space station."
But actually: former Czechoslovak cosmonaut Vladimir Remek flew on earlier flight and even was the first non-American and non-Soviet citizen to overal fly into space! But geographically speaking, even most Russian cosmonauts were Europeans, so this is probably not the way to sort it out.
Both countries, Eastern Germany and Czechoslovakia, are now non-existent. Both follower states, Germany and Czech republic, are now member states of ESA. While Germany was member state of ESA during flight of Sigmund Jähn, he was not citizen of West Germany. Technically speaking, before Czech Republic joined ESA, Sigmund Jähn really was first European (ESA member state) astronaut for more than 15 years. But after Czech Republic joined ESA, Vladimir Remek became first ESA memeber state citizen to fly into space - professionally, not as tourist.
As most ESA astronauts fly Soyuz spacecrafts to space (only now they are Russian, not Soviet Soyuzes), I consider ignoring Vladimir Remek and prefering East German citizen instead to be misleading, if not entirely biased. Both cosmonauts were anyway military personnel of former Eastern Block and only long time after their flight they became citizens of some ESA member states. Yes, Germany is bigger and more important ESA member state - but the story of both cosmonauts is so similar, that simply ignoring which one of them was really first makes absolutely no sense.
I definitely have little understanding for Vladimir Remek's membership in Communist Party even after dissolution of Eastern Block - but the simple fact that he was for some time even elected member of European Parliament (I know that EU and ESA are not related instituions) makes me wonder, that as historic fact, his flight can be so easily ignored by ESA historicians.
Vladimir Remek must be definitely considered to be the first ESA member state astronaut.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_spaceflights,_1971%E2%80%931980Regards,
Michael Polak, proud ESA member state citizen