Bay Area Citizen - News
It’s not the easiest job
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| Crew members for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission stride out of the Operations and Checkout Building and head for the Astrovan that will take them to Launch Pad 39A. From left, clockwise, are Pilot Eric Boe, Mission Specialists Donald Pettit, Shane Kimbrough, Sandra Magnus, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen, and Commander Chris Ferguson. |
But the view's worth it, we hear
As the STS-126 crew returns to Earth on the space shuttle Endeavour this week, we thought we’d take a minute to show you what they’ve been up to during their time in orbit.
Navy Capt. Chris Ferguson led the crew of STS-126 on the 27th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
Ferguson served as the pilot of STS-115 in 2007 and before the current spaceflight had logged more than 12 days in space. He had overall responsibility for the execution of the mission, orbiter systems operations and flight operations, including landing.
In addition, Ferguson flew the shuttle in a procedure called the rendezvous pitch maneuver while Endeavour was 600 feet below the complex to enable the station crew to photograph the shuttle’s heat shield. He then docked Endeavour to the station.
Air Force Col. Eric Boe was the pilot for the 15-day mission. He has more than 4,000 flight hours in more than 45 different aircraft.
STS-126 is his first spaceflight. Since selection as an astronaut in 2000, Boe has served as the director of operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, and worked on the new Ares I crew launch vehicle and Orion crew exploration vehicle.
In space, Boe was responsible for orbiter systems operations and shuttle robotic arm operations and aided Ferguson in the rendezvous and docking with the station.
Boe will flew Endeavour around the station at the end of the joint mission.
Veteran astronaut Donald Pettit made his second spaceflight as mission specialist 1 on STS-126. Pettit, who holds a doctorate in chemical engineering, has more than five and a half months of spaceflight experience.
He served as a flight engineer during Expedition 6 on the International Space Station. As part of his long-duration mission, he performed two spacewalks.
His role on this shuttle mission included operating the shuttle robotic arm and serving as the lead for the transfer of cargo from the shuttle to the station.
Navy Capt. Steve Bowen took his first spaceflight as mission specialist 2 on STS-126.
Bowen is the first submarine officer selected by NASA as an astronaut. He joined the astronaut corps in 2000 and served technical duties in the space station operations branch.
For this mission, he conducted three spacewalks to replace a nitrogen tank, clean the solar alpha rotary joint and replace trundle bearing assemblies.
Navy Capt. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper took her second spaceflight on STS-126.
She served as a mission specialist on STS-115, logging more than 12 days in space. She also completed two spacewalks on her first mission.
She served as the lead spacewalker for this mission and performed three spacewalks.
Army Lt. Col. Shane Kimbrough served as mission specialist 4 for his first spaceflight mission.
Kimbrough first worked for the NASA team as part of the Aircraft Operations Division at Ellington Field in Houston, where he served as a flight simulation engineer on the Shuttle Training Aircraft. He was selected as an astronaut in 2004.
Kimbrough performed two spacewalks during the mission.
Astronaut Sandra Magnus took her second flight to space on STS-126, her ride for a longer mission on the space station.
Magnus, who holds a doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology, first flew as a mission specialist aboard STS-112 in 2002. On that mission, she acquired nearly 11 days of spaceflight experience.
Following that flight, she was assigned to work with the Canadian Space Agency to prepare Dextre, the Special Dexterous Manipulator robot, for installation on the space station. Magnus is scheduled to return to Earth on STS-119.
For six months, astronaut Greg Chamitoff has served as flight engineer and NASA science officer of the Expedition 18 crew on the space station.
Chamitoff, who is on his first spaceflight, rode to the station as part of the STS-124 crew. Selected by NASA in 1998, Chamitoff has worked in the astronaut office robotics branch, was the lead CAPCOM for Expedition 9 and was a crew support astronaut for Expedition 6.
Chamitoff served as an aquanaut for nine days as part of the third NEEMO mission in 2002.
Navy Capt. Chris Ferguson led the crew of STS-126 on the 27th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
Ferguson served as the pilot of STS-115 in 2007 and before the current spaceflight had logged more than 12 days in space. He had overall responsibility for the execution of the mission, orbiter systems operations and flight operations, including landing.
In addition, Ferguson flew the shuttle in a procedure called the rendezvous pitch maneuver while Endeavour was 600 feet below the complex to enable the station crew to photograph the shuttle’s heat shield. He then docked Endeavour to the station.
Air Force Col. Eric Boe was the pilot for the 15-day mission. He has more than 4,000 flight hours in more than 45 different aircraft.
STS-126 is his first spaceflight. Since selection as an astronaut in 2000, Boe has served as the director of operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, and worked on the new Ares I crew launch vehicle and Orion crew exploration vehicle.
In space, Boe was responsible for orbiter systems operations and shuttle robotic arm operations and aided Ferguson in the rendezvous and docking with the station.
Boe will flew Endeavour around the station at the end of the joint mission.
Veteran astronaut Donald Pettit made his second spaceflight as mission specialist 1 on STS-126. Pettit, who holds a doctorate in chemical engineering, has more than five and a half months of spaceflight experience.
He served as a flight engineer during Expedition 6 on the International Space Station. As part of his long-duration mission, he performed two spacewalks.
His role on this shuttle mission included operating the shuttle robotic arm and serving as the lead for the transfer of cargo from the shuttle to the station.
Navy Capt. Steve Bowen took his first spaceflight as mission specialist 2 on STS-126.
Bowen is the first submarine officer selected by NASA as an astronaut. He joined the astronaut corps in 2000 and served technical duties in the space station operations branch.
For this mission, he conducted three spacewalks to replace a nitrogen tank, clean the solar alpha rotary joint and replace trundle bearing assemblies.
Navy Capt. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper took her second spaceflight on STS-126.
She served as a mission specialist on STS-115, logging more than 12 days in space. She also completed two spacewalks on her first mission.
She served as the lead spacewalker for this mission and performed three spacewalks.
Army Lt. Col. Shane Kimbrough served as mission specialist 4 for his first spaceflight mission.
Kimbrough first worked for the NASA team as part of the Aircraft Operations Division at Ellington Field in Houston, where he served as a flight simulation engineer on the Shuttle Training Aircraft. He was selected as an astronaut in 2004.
Kimbrough performed two spacewalks during the mission.
Astronaut Sandra Magnus took her second flight to space on STS-126, her ride for a longer mission on the space station.
Magnus, who holds a doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology, first flew as a mission specialist aboard STS-112 in 2002. On that mission, she acquired nearly 11 days of spaceflight experience.
Following that flight, she was assigned to work with the Canadian Space Agency to prepare Dextre, the Special Dexterous Manipulator robot, for installation on the space station. Magnus is scheduled to return to Earth on STS-119.
For six months, astronaut Greg Chamitoff has served as flight engineer and NASA science officer of the Expedition 18 crew on the space station.
Chamitoff, who is on his first spaceflight, rode to the station as part of the STS-124 crew. Selected by NASA in 1998, Chamitoff has worked in the astronaut office robotics branch, was the lead CAPCOM for Expedition 9 and was a crew support astronaut for Expedition 6.
Chamitoff served as an aquanaut for nine days as part of the third NEEMO mission in 2002.
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