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From: goudreau@dg_rtp.UUCP (Bob Goudreau)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia,net.followup
Subject: Re: Frenchmen in Space
Message-ID: <171@dg_rtp.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Feb-86 17:28:56 EST
Article-I.D.: dg_rtp.171
Posted: Fri Feb 21 17:28:56 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Feb-86 08:22:18 EST
References: <507@mmm.UUCP> <1129@abnji.UUCP>
Reply-To: goudreau@dg_rtp.UUCP (Bob Goudreau)
Organization: Data General, RTP North Carolina
Lines: 22
Xref: linus net.space:4492 net.columbia:2036 net.followup:4859

>>	Aside from which, if you don't consider the Soviets to be European,
>>then they have also not yet had any astronauts in their space program (except
>>as passengers on the shuttle). It's hard to have fatalities when there are
>>no people.
>
>The French flew a cosmonaut on a Soviet flight well before we
>allowed allies on ours.
>-- 
>James C. Armstrong, Jnr.	{ihnp4,cbosgd,akgua}!abnji!nyssa

This reminds me of the minor controversy that occurred when the first Frenchman
went up with the Soviets a few years ago.  The Soviets naturally wanted to 
refer to him (I forget his name) as a "cosmonaut".  The French were a bit
leery of this moniker;  I guess they didn't want to offend the Americans,
with whom they were also planning a ride later.  But of course "astronaut"
wouldn't please the Russians.  So, the French invented the word "spationaute"
(sp?) to describe their citzens in space.  Does anyone know if this term is
still in use?  In particular, was it used for the Frenchman who flew on the
Shuttle a while back?  Do the Soviets have any further plans to allow
western Europeans on their flights?

Bob Goudreau