| Edward Michael "Mike" "Spanky"[1] Fincke | |
|---|---|
| NASA Astronaut | |
| Nationality | American |
| Status | Active |
| Born | 14 March 1967 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Other occupation | Flight Test Engineer |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS) Stanford University (MS) University of Houston–Clear Lake (MS) |
| Rank | Colonel, USAF |
| Time in space | 381d 15h 11m |
| Selection | 1996 NASA Group |
| Total EVAs | 9 |
| Total EVA time | 48 hours 37 minutes |
| Missions | Soyuz TMA-4, Expedition 9, Soyuz TMA-13, Expedition 18, STS-134 |
| Mission insignia | |
Edward Michael "Mike" Fincke is the American Astronaut with the most time in space (381.6 days).
He was born on 14 March 1967 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but considers its suburb Emsworth, Pennsylvania to be his hometown) is a United States Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut, who has served two tours aboard the International Space Station as a flight engineer and commander and has flown on one Space Shuttle mission, STS-134 as a Mission Specialist. Fincke is conversant in Japanese and Russian.[2] He is married to Renita Saikia and together, they have three children; son Chandra and daughters Tarali and Surya.[2]
Fincke has logged just under 382 days in space, placing him first among American astronauts for the most time in space. He has done 9 spacewalks in Russian Orlan spacesuits and American EMUs. His total EVA time is 48 hours and 37 minutes placing him 6th all time on the list of spacewalkers.
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Fincke graduated from Sewickley Academy in Sewickley, Pennsylvania in 1985. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on an Air Force ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics and astronautics as well as a Bachelor of Science in Earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences.[2] He then received a Master of Science in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1990 and a second Master of Science in planetary geology from the University of Houston–Clear Lake in 2001.[2] He also attended El Camino College in Torrance, California, where he studied Japanese and Geology.[2]
Immediately after graduating from MIT in 1989, Fincke attended a summer exchange program with the Moscow Aviation Institute in the former Soviet Union, where he studied Cosmonautics. After graduation from Stanford University in 1990, Fincke entered the United States Air Force where he was assigned to the Air Force Space and Missiles Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base in California. There he served as a Space Systems Engineer and a Space Test Engineer. In 1994, upon completion of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base in California, Fincke joined the 39th Flight Test Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where he served as a Flight Test Engineer working on a variety of flight test programs, flying the F-16 and F-15 aircraft. In January 1996, he reported to the Gifu Test Center, Gifu Air Base in Japan where he was the United States Flight Test Liaison to the Japanese/United States XF-2 fighter program. Fincke as of 2005[update] has over 800 flight hours in more than 30 different varieties of aircraft and holds the rank of Colonel.[2] Fincke belongs to the Geological Society of America and the British Interplanetary Society.[2]
He also appeared in an episode of the animated television series Arthur.
Fincke was selected by NASA in April 1996 to be an astronaut. He reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. Having completed two years of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Station Operations Branch serving as an International Space Station Spacecraft Communicator (ISS CAPCOM), a member of the Crew Test Support Team in Russia and as the ISS crew procedures team lead.[2]
In July 1999, Fincke was assigned as backup crewmember for the International Space Station Expedition 4 crew. Additionally he served as a backup for the ISS Expedition 6 crew and is qualified to fly as a left-seat Flight Engineer (co-pilot) on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He was the commander of the second NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO 2) mission, living and working underwater for 7 days in May 2002.[2]
Fincke was the space station science officer and flight engineer for ISS Expedition 9 from 18 April through 23 October 2004. Expedition 9 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft, and docked with the International Space Station on 21 April 2004. Fincke spent six-months aboard the ISS continuing ISS science operations, maintaining station systems, and performing four spacewalks. The Expedition-9 mission concluded with undocking from the station and safe landing back in Kazakhstan on October 23, 2004. Fincke completed his first mission in 187 days, 21 hours and 17 minutes, and logged a total of 15 hours, 45 minutes and 22 seconds of EVA time in four spacewalks.[2]
Fincke was the back-up Commander for Expedition 13 and Expedition 16.[2]
Fincke was commander of Expedition 18. He arrived at the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz TMA-13 on 14 October 2008 with Cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov and space tourist Richard Garriott. While Richard Garriott was aboard, Fincke participated during his personal time (along with Yury Lonchakov, Gregory Chamitoff and Richard Garriott) in filming and starring in the first science-fiction movie made in space, "Apogee of Fear". On 8 April 2009 Fincke, Lonchakov and space tourist Charles Simonyi returned to Earth aboard the TMA-13.
Replacing Fincke as commander of the space station was Gennady Padalka, whom Fincke served with on Expedition 9.
Fincke was a Mission Specialist on STS-134, which was his first flight on a Space Shuttle. He has completed 26 hours and 12 minutes of spacewalking time, bringing his total EVA time to 48 hours and 37 minutes. This places him 6th all time on the list of spacewalkers.
| Meritorious Service Medal | |
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Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters |
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Air Force Achievement Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster |
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National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star |
| Air Force Training Ribbon |
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NASA Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster |
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NASA Space Flight Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters |
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| Preceded by Sergei Volkov |
ISS Alpha Commander 24 October 2008 to 8 April 2009 |
Succeeded by Gennady Padalka |