Brigadier General, French Air Force; graduated as an engineer from the Salon de Provence Air Force Academy, 1979; graduated from the Test Pilot School (EPNER) in Istres, 1988; was selected as double for Soyuz TM-24; from 61 European candidates for the ESA 1991 selection one of six French candidates (and on the shortlist of 25 candidate applicants), but not selected then; joined the European Astronaut Corps in August 1998; assigned to train at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and entered the 1998 Mission Specialist Class on 27 August 1998; hobbies: Jogging, mountain biking, tennis, reading, computer, sports.