NavList:

You will be missed!

⚓ Early Life and Naval Career

Birth: He was born on January 17, 1953

Education: He was a graduate engineer of the École Navale (the French Naval Academy).

Naval Aviator: He served as a carrier-based pilot ("pilote sur Porte-avions"). This confirms that, as a capitaine de frégate, he was indeed a pilot and not a ship's captain.

Rank: He reached the rank of Capitaine de Frégate (OF-4), which is equivalent to a Commander in the US or UK navies. The "(e.r.)" or "(ER)" after his rank indicates he was en retraite (retired).

Astronaut Candidate: In July 1986, he was selected as one of four French candidates for a second Soviet-French Soyuz space mission, though he was not ultimately chosen to fly. The selection process listed his position at the time as "Research Cosmonaut".

🛫 Post-Naval Career

Career Change: He left the French Navy in 1987 to begin a career in the private sector.

Business Leader: He worked as a business engineer ("ingénieur d'affaires") and later became the director of an SME (small and medium-sized enterprise).

Commercial Pilot: He concluded his professional life as a long-haul airline pilot, flying a DC-10 aircraft out of Lyon.

🔭 Passions and Interests

Outside of his professional life, Antoine Couëtte had a keen interest in history and astronomy:

Archaeoastronomy: He was deeply intrigued by the work of archaeologist André Berthier and conducted his own personal research. This included work on determining lunar phases during the time of the Gallic Wars, as mentioned in Julius Caesar's commentaries.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Life

He was married to Sabine Couëtte. Together, they had eight children: Anne-Caroline, Véronique, Olivier, Pauline, Claire, Pierre-Louis, Marie-Liesse, and another child. He was also a grandfather to 18 grandchildren.

🕊️ Passing

Antoine Couëtte passed away on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the age of 73. He lived in Pissotte, in the Vendée department of France.