| Michael E. Fossum | |
|---|---|
| NASA Astronaut | |
| Nationality | American |
| Status | Active |
| Born | December 19, 1957 Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
| Other occupation | Systems Engineer |
| Time in space | 193d 19h 02m |
| Selection | 1998 NASA Group |
| Total EVAs | 6 |
| Total EVA time | 42 hours, 01 minute |
| Missions | STS-121, STS-124, Soyuz TMA-02M, Expedition 28 |
| Mission insignia | |
Michael Edward Fossum (born December 19, 1957 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota) is an American astronaut. He flew into space on board the NASA Space Shuttle missions STS-121 and STS-124 and served as a mission specialist of Expedition 28 and commander of Expedition 29 aboard the International Space Station.
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Michael Fossum spent his early life in McAllen, Texas. He graduated from McAllen High School in 1976. He then attended the University of Texas–Pan American in Edinburg, Texas and later went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1980, followed by a Master of Science degree in systems engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1981. In 1997, Fossum received a Master of Science degree in physical science from the University of Houston–Clear Lake.[1]
Fossum was involved with the United States Air Force during his undergraduate years and served as commander of Squadron 3 in the Corps of Cadets. After receiving his first master's degree, he was selected to attend Air Force Test Pilot School from which he graduated in 1985.[2] He left active duty for the Air Force Reserve in 1992 in order to work for NASA. He retired as a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 2010, and has logged 1000 hours in 34 different kinds of aircraft.[1]
The first time Fossum became interested in being an astronaut was at age 12 while watching the Apollo 11 moon landing. He rekindled this dream while he was assigned by the Air Force at Johnson Space Center during the early 1990s.[1]
His NASA career began in 1993 when he was employed as a systems engineer to evaluate the Russian Soyuz spacecraft as an emergency space vehicle on the International Space Station. He also worked for the X-38 project, in which he was in charge of vehicle flight tests.[1]
Fossum was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and joined the Astronaut Corps in August of that year.
He entered space for the first time on July 4, 2006 as a mission specialist of mission STS-121 to the International Space Station where he participated in three spacewalks. On July 8, Fossum with Piers Sellers conducted a 7 and a half hour spacewalk making a repair to the ISS and testing using the Shuttle's arm as a platform for making repairs to the Shuttle. Fossum became the first Texas A&M undergraduate to travel to space.[1]
In 2011 Fossum launched to ISS to become part of the Expedition 28 and Expedition 29 crews, and he will serve as commander of Expedition 29.[3]
Fossum is currently married to the former Melanie J. London and they have four children together. In his spare time he enjoys activities with his family and pastimes such as jogging and backpacking. As an Eagle Scout, he is also very involved with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) as well as the Order of the Arrow and is the leader of two different troops. The BSA has honored him with its Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.[2][4][5] He still keeps a close affiliation with Texas A&M University, from which he graduated in 1980. More recently, he attended a Junior Cadet Achievement Program (JCAP) Banquet in October 2006 and helped present scholarships to the high school senior cadets who attended the program. On May 30, 2007, Fossum was invited to be the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony at Philmont Scout Ranch, starting off the ranch's 2007 season by relating to the staff there how his experiences both in scouting and at Philmont helped him overcome many challenges in his life.
A Junior High School in McAllen, Texas has been named after Fossum.
Fossum currently resides in Houston, Texas.
He is of Norwegian descent and his ancestors probably emigrated from Fossum in the municipality of Baerum, Norway.
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Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters |
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National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star |
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Air Force Longevity Service Award with four bronze oak leaf clusters |
| Air Force Training Ribbon |
| NASA Exceptional Service Medal | |
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NASA Space Flight Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters |
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| Preceded by Andrei Borisenko |
ISS Alpha Commander ??? |
Succeeded by Daniel Burbank |