![]() ![]() Sandy Magnus, 46, is an engineer and a veteran spaceflyer. I want as many folks as possible to see a shuttle launch and realize what this country has accomplished." "It really is an emotional experience to actually see the boosters light and see the shuttle head skyward as it starts to catch the space station. ![]() "Until you see one in person, you really haven't seen a shuttle launch," he said. Hurley is hoping the spectators who will be there in person to watch Atlantis' launch soak in the experience as they witness a key moment in history. "This is what I remember inspired me to get into this business, seeing this magnificent winged vehicle go into space for the first time," Hurley said. Being able to fly on the final space shuttle mission is a great honor, Hurley said, and witnessing the capabilities of the iconic orbiters at a young age was what inspired him to become an astronaut. Most recently, Hurley served as the safety branch chief in the Astronaut Office. Hurley completed his first spaceflight in July 2009 as the pilot on Endeavour's STS-127 mission, during which time he logged over 376 hours in space. After completing stints as the lead Astronaut Support Personnel (ASP) for the STS-107 and STS-121 missions, Hurley served on the Columbia Reconstruction Team at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and was also the NASA Director of Operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Hurley was selected to join NASA in July 2000, and reported for training at Johnson Space Center the following month. A highly experienced pilot, Hurley has logged over 4,000 hours in more than 25 aircraft. I think we've been doing a nice job of that so far."ĭoug Hurley, 44, is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps who was born in Endicott, N.Y. We want to go out with the respect and the dignity that the shuttle program deserves. We want to put NASA's best foot forward, and I think that's on the back of everyone's mind. "In spite of the fact that there's been a lot of attention surrounding the mission because it's the last one, we still have a very tight timeline and a very complex mission to pull off. "I'm not any more apprehensive or nervous about this mission coming off than any other one," Ferguson told. ![]() As commander of the final flight, his focus has been on executing a successful mission, but the legacy of the agency's 30-year space shuttle program is not far from his mind. From November 2009 to September 2010, Ferguson served as deputy chief of the Astronaut Office.įerguson has spoken about the enormous amount of pride he and his crewmates have in their vehicle, Atlantis, as well as the rest of NASA's shuttle fleet. In total, he has logged over 28 days in space. During the 12-day mission, the crew delivered and installed the International Space Station's massive P3/P4 truss segment and two sets of solar arrays.įerguson was also commander of Endeavour's STS-126 flight to the space station in November 2008. A Philadelphia native, Ferguson began astronaut training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston in August 1998.įerguson completed his first spaceflight as pilot of Atlantis' STS-115 mission in September 2006. Chris Ferguson, 49, is a United States Navy captain who has flown on two previous shuttle missions. ![]()
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