"A(u)stronaut" Franz Viehböck turns 65

In a kind of holding pattern for a space mission is Carmen Possnig from Carinthia, who has been trained as a backup astronaut for the European Space Agency ESA since 2022. According to Viehböck, "a space flight by Carmen Possnig soon would be very helpful for Austrian space activities, especially in the country." He emphasized this ahead of his 65th birthday, which he wants to spend without major celebrations. "I support wherever I can and am pleased that I would have a very competent and suitable successor with her!"

Franz Viehböck Made "Austromir" Race

The path of the native Viennese as the first Austrian in Earth's orbit started in the south of Vienna. Viehböck spent his childhood and youth in Perchtoldsdorf and Mödling. After graduating from high school and studying electrical engineering at the Technical University (TU) Vienna and holding an assistant position there, he became fascinated by space travel from 1988. He always had a penchant for the wide world: Even before his training at the "Star City" near Moscow to become a cosmonaut, the father of four spoke English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Russian was added during the "Austromir" preparations. After a public call for applications in 1988, more than 180 Austrians competed for a place in the Soyuz rocket. After preliminary tests, training began in Austria in March 1989 for 28 men and three women. Finally, on October 6, 1989, in Moscow, the decision was made that the technician Viehböck and the doctor Clemens Lothaller, born in 1963, could undergo cosmonaut training.

Fatherly Honors on the Way to the Space Station

In the summer of 1991, Viehböck was considered the favorite, with Lothaller acting as the likely backup. The decision for the then 30-year-old was finally confirmed on September 30. He had "no fear," Viehböck stated shortly before the launch. On October 2, 1991, at 6:59 AM CET, the Soyuz-TM 13 rocket with him on board lifted off from the Russian spaceport in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Along with Viehböck, Russian commander Alexander Volkov and Kazakh Toktar Aubakirov flew into space. Eight and a half hours after liftoff, Viehböck's wife Vesna gave birth to a healthy girl - Carina Marie - at the Wiener Neustadt hospital. The docking maneuver with the Mir space station took place on October 4. In the following days, Viehböck conducted 15 scientific experiments from Austria, landing on October 10 at 5:12 AM CET aboard a Soyuz landing capsule in Kazakhstan. The hard training had paid off by this point, as the hard landing demanded a lot from him, Viehböck once explained.

Much Attention for Franz Viehböck After Hard Landing

At the latest, after his return to Austria, his popularity should also concern him sustainably: "It was indeed a learning process for me to deal with suddenly being in the public spotlight and being known by everyone," Viehböck said in advance of his 60th birthday to the APA. The fame brought him, among other things, advertising contracts and numerous autograph requests. Following the flight, he engaged in a two-year information and lecture activity about research activities in space on behalf of the Austrian government. Eventually, he moved to America to join the management of the US aerospace company Rockwell, which was later acquired by Boeing. In 1999, he finally returned home as the European division manager of Boeing's space and communications technology business, based in Vienna. By then, the hype around his person had also reduced to an "absolutely bearable" level, according to Viehböck. Around the turn of the millennium, he also served as Lower Austria's technology commissioner.

Franz Viehböck Remains Berndorf CEO

In 2002, Viehböck became the managing director of "Berndorf Band". From 2008, he was responsible as "Chief Technology Officer" for technology and personnel development and has since also served as a member of the board of the Lower Austrian Berndorf AG. After 18 years in the corporate group, the former cosmonaut took over as CEO in 2020, leading the organization with 2,300 employees and an annual turnover of around 575 million euros. And he does not intend to change that anytime soon: "As long as I am fit and healthy, and it is fun for me, I will remain CEO." He plans to carefully coordinate any potential succession with the supervisory board "with a good joint transition period" at the appropriate time. Despite his anchoring in the business world, Viehböck remains connected to the space scene. For instance, in 2016, he hosted the "29th Planetary Congress" of the international Association of Space Explorers in Vienna. Recently, as an investor, he also joined the Lower Austrian space start-up Gate Space, which plans to launch its compact engines for satellites into space next year.

Space Industry on the Rise and Call for More Money for ESA

The development of the domestic space technology sector is "actually very remarkable for our small country". There are "great developments in various areas that also find great international recognition and use," said the technician, who privately enjoys traveling, making music, or engaging in a variety of sports such as ski touring, kitesurfing, water skiing, swimming, and tennis. For the expansion of the country's space engagement, however, Viehböck believes a "greater financial commitment to the ESA" is necessary from domestic politics.

(APA/Red)

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