UP AND AWAY
Whenever time allows, Laura Winterling takes to the skies – either alone or as a flight instructor accompanied by her students.
UP AND AWAY
Whenever time allows, Laura Winterling takes to the skies – either alone or as a flight instructor accompanied by her students.
Sitting still, relaxing or lying on the beach on holiday –
these are not Laura Winterling’s thing at all. The physicist
much prefers to be on the move: on a lecture tour or
visiting colleagues at the Astronaut Centre or helicopter
hangar. Things that many are apprehensive about – outer
space, space travel, flying – are all part of everyday life for her. She
trained astronauts for a decade at the European Space Agency (ESA)
in Cologne, her adopted town. Today, she sparks enthusiasm for
space travel in other people with her event agency Space Time Concepts
and as a speaker. The path to where she is now seems like an
incredible journey and one for which she is very grateful, she says.
She sits at her desk in her office in Cologne and recalls this journey. It all began with a fascination for physics. “Even as a child, I was searching for truth,” explains Laura Winterling. “Why is the sky blue, how does television work, why do stars shine at night, why do black holes exist? I wanted to know everything. Later on at school, I learnt that truth has a name: physics.”
She sits at her desk in her office in Cologne and recalls this journey. It all began with a fascination for physics. “Even as a child, I was searching for truth,” explains Laura Winterling. “Why is the sky blue, how does television work, why do stars shine at night, why do black holes exist? I wanted to know everything. Later on at school, I learnt that truth has a name: physics.”
Sitting still, relaxing or lying on the beach on holiday –
these are not Laura Winterling’s thing at all. The physicist
much prefers to be on the move: on a lecture tour or
visiting colleagues at the Astronaut Centre or helicopter
hangar. Things that many are apprehensive about – outer
space, space travel, flying – are all part of everyday life for her. She
trained astronauts for a decade at the European Space Agency (ESA)
in Cologne, her adopted town. Today, she sparks enthusiasm for
space travel in other people with her event agency Space Time Concepts
and as a speaker. The path to where she is now seems like an
incredible journey and one for which she is very grateful, she says.
She sits at her desk in her office in Cologne and recalls this journey. It all began with a fascination for physics. “Even as a child, I was searching for truth,” explains Laura Winterling. “Why is the sky blue, how does television work, why do stars shine at night, why do black holes exist? I wanted to know everything. Later on at school, I learnt that truth has a name: physics.”
She sits at her desk in her office in Cologne and recalls this journey. It all began with a fascination for physics. “Even as a child, I was searching for truth,” explains Laura Winterling. “Why is the sky blue, how does television work, why do stars shine at night, why do black holes exist? I wanted to know everything. Later on at school, I learnt that truth has a name: physics.”
IN THE HANGAR
Her first job at the ESA set the course for her entire career – a journey that is still almost unbelievable to this day, says Laura Winterling.
IN THE HANGAR
Her first job at the ESA set the course for her entire career – a journey that is still almost unbelievable to this day, says Laura Winterling.
She grew up in a village in Bavaria where children were able
to romp around outside and try out lots of things. Her grandmother
gave her a book about dinosaurs from the “How and Why”
series, and also a chemistry set with a microscope. At age nine, she
repaired her broken bedside lamp because the plug did not work.
She was a good student, hard-working. “It didn’t matter whether it
was maths, languages or history – I wanted to do my best in
everything,
and I learnt a lot. I’m not actually a high-flyer who
doesn’t need to work hard,” she points out.
She turns around and picks up a picture. “Look what this says: talent, discipline, belief. These three things are important, but many people stop at one point.” Why didn’t she, of all people, do that? “I’m a very stubborn person. If someone tells me I can’t do something, it motivates me even more,” she says, describing one of her strongest character traits. After leaving school, Laura Winterling studied physics at the University of Bayreuth. It was the subject that taught her patience, she says. “You spend weeks pondering a question and can’t answer it. You look hard at it and at some point you find the solution. I love that.”
She turns around and picks up a picture. “Look what this says: talent, discipline, belief. These three things are important, but many people stop at one point.” Why didn’t she, of all people, do that? “I’m a very stubborn person. If someone tells me I can’t do something, it motivates me even more,” she says, describing one of her strongest character traits. After leaving school, Laura Winterling studied physics at the University of Bayreuth. It was the subject that taught her patience, she says. “You spend weeks pondering a question and can’t answer it. You look hard at it and at some point you find the solution. I love that.”
She grew up in a village in Bavaria where children were able
to romp around outside and try out lots of things. Her grandmother
gave her a book about dinosaurs from the “How and Why”
series, and also a chemistry set with a microscope. At age nine, she
repaired her broken bedside lamp because the plug did not work.
She was a good student, hard-working. “It didn’t matter whether it
was maths, languages or history – I wanted to do my best in
everything,
and I learnt a lot. I’m not actually a high-flyer who
doesn’t need to work hard,” she points out.
She turns around and picks up a picture. “Look what this says: talent, discipline, belief. These three things are important, but many people stop at one point.” Why didn’t she, of all people, do that? “I’m a very stubborn person. If someone tells me I can’t do something, it motivates me even more,” she says, describing one of her strongest character traits. After leaving school, Laura Winterling studied physics at the University of Bayreuth. It was the subject that taught her patience, she says. “You spend weeks pondering a question and can’t answer it. You look hard at it and at some point you find the solution. I love that.”
She turns around and picks up a picture. “Look what this says: talent, discipline, belief. These three things are important, but many people stop at one point.” Why didn’t she, of all people, do that? “I’m a very stubborn person. If someone tells me I can’t do something, it motivates me even more,” she says, describing one of her strongest character traits. After leaving school, Laura Winterling studied physics at the University of Bayreuth. It was the subject that taught her patience, she says. “You spend weeks pondering a question and can’t answer it. You look hard at it and at some point you find the solution. I love that.”
She experienced the moment that changed her life during
a study trip she organised to ESA’s Astronaut Centre in Cologne.
“As I walked through the door, I knew that I belonged there,” she
says. She applied for the only trainee position at the centre in
Cologne,
was invited for an interview and was accepted a few
months later. She can still clearly remember her first day at work in
2007: “It felt so unreal. I had to pinch myself with happiness.” She
took over the office of Thomas Reiter; his wife’s speed dial number
was still stored in the phone. Laura Winterling was subsequently
trained as an astronaut instructor and completed parts of the training
herself. She climbed in caves and experienced weightlessness
on parabolic flights. As a trainer, she prepared Alexander Gerst for his mission to the ISS. “It’s pure technology: navigation sensors,
emergency procedures, life support systems,” she explains. One of
the greatest skills anyone can learn from astronauts, however, is
their ability to ask for help, she says. “If they don’t understand
something, they ask. That’s more efficient than reading up on everything
yourself. Your important resources of time and energy are
limited. It’s a pity that many people still think it seems stupid to ask
questions. I always say: Don’t worry about coming across as foolish.
You’ll learn more that way.”
She experienced the moment that changed her life during
a study trip she organised to ESA’s Astronaut Centre in Cologne.
“As I walked through the door, I knew that I belonged there,” she
says. She applied for the only trainee position at the centre in
Cologne,
was invited for an interview and was accepted a few
months later. She can still clearly remember her first day at work in
2007: “It felt so unreal. I had to pinch myself with happiness.” She
took over the office of Thomas Reiter; his wife’s speed dial number
was still stored in the phone. Laura Winterling was subsequently
trained as an astronaut instructor and completed parts of the training
herself. She climbed in caves and experienced weightlessness
on parabolic flights. As a trainer, she prepared Alexander Gerst for his mission to the ISS. “It’s pure technology: navigation sensors,
emergency procedures, life support systems,” she explains. One of
the greatest skills anyone can learn from astronauts, however, is
their ability to ask for help, she says. “If they don’t understand
something, they ask. That’s more efficient than reading up on everything
yourself. Your important resources of time and energy are
limited. It’s a pity that many people still think it seems stupid to ask
questions. I always say: Don’t worry about coming across as foolish.
You’ll learn more that way.”
BUNDLE OF ENERGY
A tour of the ESA, a lecture on the other side of the world, a request for a helicopter transfer? None of these is a problem for this superwoman.
BUNDLE OF ENERGY
A tour of the ESA, a lecture on the other side of the world, a request for a helicopter transfer? None of these is a problem for this superwoman.
Laura Winterling almost became an astronaut herself; she
was among the final 15 German candidates. “I don’t have the smallest
mouth in the world. Maybe that’s why I didn’t make it to the
end,” she says, laughing. She was very disappointed at the moment,
of course, but that has passed now. Laura Winterling likes doing
things that would be too nerve-racking for many people: skydiving,
rescue diving, climbing into a cockpit. But she is quick to say that
she’s not an adrenaline junkie. “What drives me is the pursuit of
skills. They are like individual tools in a toolbox. The more you
have, the more you can achieve in life.” She wants to know how
things work, mechanically and mentally. Courage is certainly important,
to begin with. But the rest is ability. And practice. Does she
ever feel scared? She thinks for a moment. “Yes, of course. But I don’t
panic. I try to make decisions in a calm and focused way. Like in cave
training, for example. You’re on your own, you can only see the beam
from your own lamp, and you’re squeezing yourself through narrow
passageways. Most mistakes happen at the end, when your mind is
already at home. I also explain this in my lectures: keep focused until
the very end.”
After ten years, Laura Winterling gave up her dream job in 2016 to start her own business. She was asked whether she could make the ESA better known. It was a hard decision, which she made at her parents’ house in Upper Franconia. “That’s the place I love most,” she says, with an air of calm. She is so grateful for her parents, who have always supported her, she says. She developed a concept, established her company Space Time Concepts and organised tours of the Astronaut Centre, among other things. On one of the tours, she was asked whether she could share her experiences in a lecture. Today, she is known worldwide as a speaker, letting her audience participate in the everyday life of an astronaut or life on a space station. She also works as a helicopter pilot and provides training to trainee pilots. “I appreciate this freedom,” she says. The freedom to make decisions flexibly, pursue her zest for action and learn new things.
After ten years, Laura Winterling gave up her dream job in 2016 to start her own business. She was asked whether she could make the ESA better known. It was a hard decision, which she made at her parents’ house in Upper Franconia. “That’s the place I love most,” she says, with an air of calm. She is so grateful for her parents, who have always supported her, she says. She developed a concept, established her company Space Time Concepts and organised tours of the Astronaut Centre, among other things. On one of the tours, she was asked whether she could share her experiences in a lecture. Today, she is known worldwide as a speaker, letting her audience participate in the everyday life of an astronaut or life on a space station. She also works as a helicopter pilot and provides training to trainee pilots. “I appreciate this freedom,” she says. The freedom to make decisions flexibly, pursue her zest for action and learn new things.
Laura Winterling almost became an astronaut herself; she
was among the final 15 German candidates. “I don’t have the smallest
mouth in the world. Maybe that’s why I didn’t make it to the
end,” she says, laughing. She was very disappointed at the moment,
of course, but that has passed now. Laura Winterling likes doing
things that would be too nerve-racking for many people: skydiving,
rescue diving, climbing into a cockpit. But she is quick to say that
she’s not an adrenaline junkie. “What drives me is the pursuit of
skills. They are like individual tools in a toolbox. The more you
have, the more you can achieve in life.” She wants to know how
things work, mechanically and mentally. Courage is certainly important,
to begin with. But the rest is ability. And practice. Does she
ever feel scared? She thinks for a moment. “Yes, of course. But I don’t
panic. I try to make decisions in a calm and focused way. Like in cave
training, for example. You’re on your own, you can only see the beam
from your own lamp, and you’re squeezing yourself through narrow
passageways. Most mistakes happen at the end, when your mind is
already at home. I also explain this in my lectures: keep focused until
the very end.”
After ten years, Laura Winterling gave up her dream job in 2016 to start her own business. She was asked whether she could make the ESA better known. It was a hard decision, which she made at her parents’ house in Upper Franconia. “That’s the place I love most,” she says, with an air of calm. She is so grateful for her parents, who have always supported her, she says. She developed a concept, established her company Space Time Concepts and organised tours of the Astronaut Centre, among other things. On one of the tours, she was asked whether she could share her experiences in a lecture. Today, she is known worldwide as a speaker, letting her audience participate in the everyday life of an astronaut or life on a space station. She also works as a helicopter pilot and provides training to trainee pilots. “I appreciate this freedom,” she says. The freedom to make decisions flexibly, pursue her zest for action and learn new things.
After ten years, Laura Winterling gave up her dream job in 2016 to start her own business. She was asked whether she could make the ESA better known. It was a hard decision, which she made at her parents’ house in Upper Franconia. “That’s the place I love most,” she says, with an air of calm. She is so grateful for her parents, who have always supported her, she says. She developed a concept, established her company Space Time Concepts and organised tours of the Astronaut Centre, among other things. On one of the tours, she was asked whether she could share her experiences in a lecture. Today, she is known worldwide as a speaker, letting her audience participate in the everyday life of an astronaut or life on a space station. She also works as a helicopter pilot and provides training to trainee pilots. “I appreciate this freedom,” she says. The freedom to make decisions flexibly, pursue her zest for action and learn new things.
FLYING HIGH
Laura Winterling trained astronauts for ten years. Their biggest skills? Asking questions and not being afraid to ask for help, she says.
FYLING HIGH
Laura Winterling trained astronauts for ten years. Their biggest skills? Asking questions and not being afraid to ask for help, she says.
And of course, she is always asked about the astronauts.
She laughs. “Many people put them on a kind of pedestal. But they’re
just normal people who work very hard, pursue their goals and
were lucky enough to be selected. They fully demonstrate the three
skills of belief, talent and discipline. It’s important to me to pass that
on, especially to women. I’d like to be a good example and say:
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. People develop
incredible energy when they believe in themselves. And that’s
exactly where it begins – with belief. It’s a pity if someone already
fails at that step.”
And of course, she is always asked about the astronauts.
She laughs. “Many people put them on a kind of pedestal. But they’re
just normal people who work very hard, pursue their goals and
were lucky enough to be selected. They fully demonstrate the three
skills of belief, talent and discipline. It’s important to me to pass that
on, especially to women. I’d like to be a good example and say:
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. People develop
incredible energy when they believe in themselves. And that’s
exactly where it begins – with belief. It’s a pity if someone already
fails at that step.”
CREDITS
Photography: Ansgar Sollmann, Production: Vanessa Zeeh, Styling: Manuel Miltner, Hair & Make-up: Rebecca Schmitz/NINAKLEIN, Photographic assistant: Tim Löbbert
Photography: Ansgar Sollmann, Production: Vanessa Zeeh, Styling: Manuel Miltner, Hair & Make-up: Rebecca Schmitz/NINAKLEIN, Photographic assistant: Tim Löbbert
