Former European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and first French woman in space. From 1989 to 1992 she was responsible for scientific coordination of the life sciences experiments aboard the Mir space station. The Le Creusot native flew to Mir in 1996 as part of a Russian–French mission where she conducted further life science experiments, and in 2001 she became the first European woman to visit the International Space Station. A year later Haigneré retired from ESA and space research.