STATUS: NASA Astronaut who was killed in the space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.
DOB: December 25, 1959 In: Plattsburgh, NY
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: “Play tennis, play chess, photography, work on my car (a 1985 black Porsche 944).”
FAVORITE MOVIE: “One old film most people wouldn’t know, that I really liked was ‘To Sir With Love’ with Sidney Poitier. Great film.”
MUSICAL TASTES: “I’m an old traditional gospel fan. I like any real good choir. Also contemporary jazz, Earl Klugh, Acoustic Alchemy.”
ALL-TIME FAVORITE TV SHOW: “‘Lost In Space’. It’s like going back to my childhood when I see it now.”
FUNNY SPACE MEMORY: “On the STS-89 mission in 1998, we were about two days from undocking from MIR Station, in orbit about 220 miles from earth. One day we had some spare time. Myself and Joe Edwards decided to play with our food at zero gravity. We squirted out red and yellow balls of our drinks of lemonade and fruit juice. In space, they float around in a big ball. Of course, we then tried to drink them out of mid-air [smiles]. Some were softball-size, some were like golf balls. They were just floating there. If you were successful, you could drink it without a straw…through suction out of the side. But we had varying degrees of success [laughs].”
PRE-BLAST-OFF FEELING: “Wow. For me, it’s a feeling of reflection. Reflect on all the things that it took to get to that point. All the help from other people. All the hard work on my part. All the obstacles and hurdles I overcame.”
GREATEST MOMENT OF CAREER: “I have to say reaching space the first time. When the main engines cut off and you go from the force of acceleration to the zero gravity of space. And everything starts to float. And that moment, you realize you made it to space. That’s a very proud moment for every astronaut. [This mission was the eighth shuttle-MIR docking mission during which the crew transferred more than 9,000 lbs. of scientific equipment, logistical hardware and water from Space Shuttle Endeavor to MIR.]”
FIRST CAR: ‘71 light blue Ford Pinto
FIRST JOB: “Cutting and raking up neighbors grass for a few dollars. In Wichita Falls, TX (age 10).”
CHILDHOOD DREAM: “I only had one dream and ambition…to be an astronaut. I guess I was inspired by TV shows like ‘Lost In Space’ and my natural curiosity and interest in space.”
FAVORITE MEAL: “A good dish of spaghetti with tomato sauce. Real simple.”
FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL: “Frosted Flakes.”
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: “Neopolitan.”
MOST TREASURED POSSESSION: “You won’t believe this, in a sentimental way, it’s my old Hewlett Packard calculators that got me through high school, college and grad school. I don’t use them anymore but I have a special fondness for them.”
PEOPLE MOST ADMIRED: “I admire people who put aside personal comfort and dedicate their lives to serving others. People who go to places where other people don’t want to go, who do things that aren’t very easy to do. In providing service to other people.”
EDUCATION: BA Univ. of Washington (Physics/ Astronomy); MS Creighton Univ (Physics).
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:
STS-107 Columbia (January 16 to February 1, 2003). The 16-day flight was a dedicated science and research mission. Working 24 hours a day, in two alternating shifts, the crew successfully conducted approximately 80 experiments. The STS-107 mission ended abruptly on February 1, 2003 when Space Shuttle Columbia and his crew perished during entry, 16 minutes before scheduled landing. Mission duration was 15 days, 22 hours and 20 minutes.
STS-89 Endeavor (January 22–31, 1998), was the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission during which the crew transferred more than 9,000 pounds of scientific equipment, logistical hardware and water from the Space Shuttle to Mir. In the fifth and last exchange of a U.S. astronaut, STS-89 delivered Andy Thomas to Mir and returned with David Wolf. Mission duration was 8 days, 19 hours and 47 seconds, traveling 3.6 million miles in 138 orbits of the earth.
Topics: Acoustic Alchemy, Earl Klugh, Eighth Shuttle, Golf Balls, Hobbies Interests, Joe Edwards, Musical Tastes, Nasa Astronaut, Photography Work, Play Chess, Porsche 944, Proud Moment, Shuttle Columbia Disaster, Sidney Poitier, Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster, Tennis Play, Time Favorite Tv, Yellow Balls, Zero Gravity
Tribute Biofile with Astronaut Michael Anderson | 