Clayton Anderson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Clayton Anderson | |
|---|---|
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| NASA Astronaut | |
| Nationality | American |
| Status | Active |
| Born | February 23, 1959 Omaha, Nebraska |
| Other occupation | Engineer |
| Space time | 151d 18h 23m |
| Selection | 1998 NASA Group |
| Missions | STS-117, Expedition 15, Expedition 16, STS-120 |
| Mission insignia |
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Clayton Conrad Anderson (born February 23, 1959 in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. Launched on STS-117, he replaced Sunita Williams on June 10, 2007 as a member of the ISS Expedition 15 crew.[1]
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[edit] Education
Graduated from Ashland-Greenwood High School, Ashland, Nebraska, 1977; received a bachelor of science degree (Cum Laude) in Physics from Hastings College, Nebraska in 1981 and a master of science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University in 1983.[2]
[edit] Organizations
Southwest Basketball Officials Association; Former Men’s College Basketball Official: Red River Athletic, Southern Collegiate Athletic, Heart of Texas, Lone Star, and Texas/New Mexico Junior College Athletic Conferences; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA); Johnson Space Center Employee Activities Association: Vice President of Athletics (1987-1992); Clear Lake Optimist Club Past President and Vice President. Alpha Chi National Scholastic Honor Society, Hastings College, Hastings Nebraska (1980-1981).[2]
[edit] Awards and honors
- Honorary Doctorate Degree from Hastings College, 2004;
- Distinguished Alumnus Award, National Council of Alpha Chi 2001;
- NASA Quality and Safety Achievement Recognition (QASAR) Award 1998;
- NCAA National Christian College Basketball Championships Official (1997, 1998);
- JSC Certificate of Commendation (1993);
- Outstanding Young Man of America (1981, 1985, 1987);
- Bronco Award Winner, Hastings College (1981).
- Given the key to the city by the mayor of Ashland (2007)
- Given the honor of February 29th being Clay Anderson day in the state of Nebraska (2007)
- Given the Outstanding Alumni Award of Hastings College on March 2, 2008.
- Received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Iowa State University on April 11, 2008
[edit] NASA career
Anderson joined the Johnson Space Center in 1983 in the Mission Planning and Analysis Division where he performed rendezvous and proximity operations trajectory designs for early Space Shuttle and Space Station missions. In 1988 he moved to the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) as a Flight Design Manager leading the trajectory design team for the Galileo planetary mission (STS-34) while serving as the backup for the Magellan planetary mission (STS-31). In 1989, Anderson was chosen supervisor of the MOD Ascent Flight Design Section and following reorganization, the Flight Design Engineering Office of the Flight Design and Dynamics Division. In 1993 he was named the Chief of the Flight Design Branch. From 1996 until his selection as an astronaut candidate, Anderson held the post of Manager, Emergency Operations Center, NASA Johnson Space Center.
[edit] Astronaut duties
Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in June 1998, he reported for training in August of that year. Training included orientation briefings and tours, numerous scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) systems, physiological training, ground school to prepare for T-38 flight training, as well as learning water and wilderness survival techniques.[2]
Prior to being assigned to a spaceflight Anderson served as the lead for the Enhanced Caution and Warning (ECW) System development effort within the Space Shuttle Cockpit Avionics Upgrade (CAU) Project. Previously, he was the Crew Support Astronaut for ISS Expedition 4, providing ground support on technical issues in addition to supporting the crew families. Anderson also served as an ISS Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) and as the Astronaut Office crew representative for the Station's electrical power system. In November 2002, Anderson completed training in the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Skills program. He was back-up flight engineer for Expedition 12, Expedition 13 and Expedition 14 to the International Space Station.
[edit] International Space Station
Anderson was a member of the Expedition 15 crew and spent 152 days onboard the International Space Station. He launched to the station aboard Shuttle Atlantis as Mission Specialist 5 for the STS-117 mission on June 8, 2007,[3] and remained onboard as a member of the Expedition 16 crew before returning to earth aboard Discovery on mission STS-120 on November 7, 2007. On return his official title was Mission Specialist 5.[4]
Anderson continued a tradition aboard the International Space Station, started by Michael Lopez-Alegria, of conducting daily "trivia" contests with mission control team members on the ground. [5] During Alegria's seven month stay on the station he would routinely call down movie quotes and challenge the team members to determine the movie the quote was from. Towards the end of his mission he changed to music trivia playing a portion of a song and challenging the team to complete the line. Anderson has taken this tradition and put his own personal twist on it, using the "Book of Answers: The New York Public Library Telephone Reference Service's Most Unusual and Entertaining Questions". Anderson often played song clips for the ground control team, or specific individuals, most notably when he played the song "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams for his wife on her birthday.
[edit] Personal
Anderson was born in Omaha, but considers Ashland, Nebraska to be his hometown. Married to Susan Jane Anderson (née Harreld) of Elkhart, Indiana. They have two children; a son, Clayton “Cole” and a daughter, Sutton Marie. His mother, Alice J. Anderson, died in December of 2007, shortly after his return to earth. His father, John T. Anderson, is deceased. Her parents are Jack and Mary Harreld of Bella Vista, Arkansas. Recreational interests include officiating College and High School basketball; participation in all sports; coaching youth sports; flying; reading; writing music; playing the piano/organ and vocal performance. As an undergraduate he competed on the football, basketball and track teams.
Like many of the other astronauts and cosmonauts he is a licensed amateur radio operator having passed the technician class license exam in 2001 and was issued the call sign KD5PLA by the Federal Communications Commission on 13 Aug 2001.[6] He will be using one of the two amateur radio stations aboard the ISS when he talks with school children.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ NASA. "International Space Station Expedition 15", NASA. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ a b c NASA. "Clayton Anderson Biography", NASA. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ NASA. "STS-117 Mission Status Report", NASA, 2007-06-10. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ NASA. "International Space Station Expedition 15 Crew", NASA. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ Malik, Tariq. "Star Trek Beams Down from ISS", Livescience.com, 2007-06-16. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ KD5PLA
- ^ for information on ARISS - Amateur Radio on the International Space Station.
