Acting

Jean-François Clervoy

Jean-François André Clervoy, born on November 19, 1958, in Longeville-lès-Metz, France, is a distinguished French engineer and astronaut associated with the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and the European Space Agency (ESA). A seasoned veteran of three NASA Space Shuttle missions, Clervoy has made significant contributions to the field of space exploration.

Growing up in Lorraine, Clervoy was inspired by a teacher’s vision of future space travel, fueling his lifelong ambition to become an astronaut. He considers Toulouse his second home and shares a close bond with his twin brother, Patrick, a military psychiatrist.

Clervoy’s academic journey began with his baccalauréat from Collège Militaire de Saint-Cyr-l'École in 1976, followed by advanced studies in mathematics and engineering. He graduated from École Polytechnique in Paris in 1981 and continued his education at École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique et de l'espace, earning his degree in 1983. His early career at CNES involved developing autopilot systems for projects like the SPOT satellite and the VEGA comet probe.

Selected as part of the second group of French astronauts in 1985, Clervoy underwent rigorous training, including time in Star City, Moscow, for Soyuz and Mir systems. He joined the ESA Astronaut Corps in 1992 and later trained at NASA's Johnson Space Center, where he served as a flight software verification lead and worked on robotics for the Shuttle and ISS.

Over the course of his career, Clervoy spent 675 hours in space, flying aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis and Discovery. Post-flight, he served as a Senior Advisor for the ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle project and participated in astronaut selection processes, solidifying his legacy in space exploration.

Read more