I am preparing for my first Space Shuttle flight. I will be a mission specialist aboard STS-114, the Return to Flight voyage of the Space Shuttle program! As a kid, the Mercury 7 astronauts were my heroes. I studied science and engineering, and aimed for a career with NASA. The first time I applied for an opening as a mission specialist in 1978, I didn’t have enough experience at that time and wasn’t selected. I reapplied 18 years later, and that perseverance paid off. I first worked for NASA’s Langley Research Center as a research scientist, working with Space Shuttle-related projects. I have received over 21 NASA awards for technical innovations and accomplishments, an award for one of the top 100 technical innovations of 1983, and hold seven patents. After 2 years of astronaut training, I have worked in the Astronaut Office Spacecraft Systems and Operations Branch, and have been a backup crew member of the International Space Station Expedition 8 crew.
No comments:
Post a Comment