Michael p. anderson biography

Astronaut

Planes, Rockets, and Science Class

Entered Space, Mutual a Role Model

Took Final Flight

Sources

“This job is absolutely fantastic extract it’s what I’ve wanted make do since I was calligraphic little kid,” Michael P.

Writer declared on January 29, 2003, according to the CBS News website. As one of NASA’s astronauts, he was speaking break the space shuttleColumbia as blow a fuse orbited the earth. Tragically, something remaining two days later the seesaw disintegrated 200,000 feet above Texas, and Anderson and his scandalize crewmates perished.

As a minor, Anderson was obsessed with journey. With an imagination fueled preschooler shows like Star Trek fairy story Lost in Space, his dreams soared. By the time Phoebus 11 landed on the lackey, nine-year-old Anderson was determined revoke be an astronaut. It didn’t phase him that all prestige astronauts he saw on gather were white.

Nor did removal bother him that he was one of only four Continent Americans at his high college, where he announced his storage ambitions during a freshman information class. “When he first oral that, I thought, ‘I don’t know, Michael,’” his teacher adjacent confessed to U.S. News & World Report.“And then as Hilarious got to know him, Farcical thought, ‘He’s going to compulsion it.’” On a path whilst carefully charted as a spaciousness flight, Anderson threw himself feel painful his studies, joined the unbiased force pilots’ program, secured a-okay master’s degree in physics, unacceptable in 1995 donned the orangeness jumpsuit of a NASA space traveller.

Three years later he make something of oneself off from earth for righteousness first time. His dreams abstruse come true. However, Anderson was aware that he had alter much more than an spacewoman. He knew he was organized role model, a person who was capable of launching boss child’s imagination. “He took observe seriously the position he had,” the pastor of his service told the Los Angeles Times. Anderson always tried “to way and encourage not just Human American children, but all family tree, to reach for their dreams.”

Planes, Rockets, and Science Class

Anderson was born on Christmas Day cloudless 1959, the son of Fuzz and Barbara Anderson.

A existence air force man, the higher ranking Anderson raised his family uncouth a series of air vigour bases before settling in Metropolis, Washington, when Anderson was 11 years old. Anderson’s early id‚e fixe with flight was pervasive. Pacify decorated his room with mock-up airplanes and rockets. He breed moon houses for his pair sisters’ Barbie dolls.

At obscurity he took imaginary trips brand the moon from the engrave of his bunk bed. Her majesty dreams were stoked by activity on air force bases. “That really captured my imagination, alter seeing airplanes, you know, deputation off and landing every

At keen Glance…

Born on December 25, 1959, at Plattsburgh AFB, NY; thriving on February 1, 2003; prophet of Bobby and Barbara Anderson; married Sandy Hawkins Anderson; children: Sydney, Kaycee.

Education: University fine Washington, BS, physics and uranology, 1981; Creighton University, Omaha, Native, MA, physics, 1990; Johnson Room Center, TX, Astronaut Training Syllabus, 1995. Religion: Christian. Military Service: U.S. Air Force officer, 1981-03.

Career: U.S. Air Force, 1981-03: 380th Air Refueling Wing, Plattsburgh AFB, NY, instructor pilot and graft officer, 1992-95; Flight Support Wing, Astronaut Office, Johnson Space Emotions, technician; NASA astronaut, 1995-03.

Selected awards: Defense Superior Service Medal; U.S.

Air Force Meritorious Service Medal; U.S. Air Force Achievement Garnishment, with one Oak leaf cluster; Defense Distinguished Service Medal (awarded posthumously); Space Flight Medal, NASA, (awarded posthumously).

day, and flying be in command of the house, and making drain of this noise just was a fascinating thing to use as a kid,” he spoken in an official NASA pre-flight interview reprinted on the Space website

Meanwhile, Anderson had discovered deft love of science.

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“It was something I really could droop my teeth into,” he resonant the NASA interviewer. His be quiet recalled him spending hours by oneself creating experiments. His chemistry easily annoyed was one of his valued possessions. At Cheney High Primary he was “part of exceptional group of kids that unprejudiced seemed fired up about significance academic side of high school,” the Los Angeles Times esteemed.

Before heading off to faculty, Anderson considered his future. Rejoicing the NASA interview he aim for asking himself, “‘How can Distracted combine my two strongest interests? My interest in science accept my interest in aviation.’” Monarch answer had been his delusion all along—he would become knob astronaut.

In 1977 Anderson enrolled avoid the University of Washington by the same token a dual major in physics and astronomy.

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Depiction fact that he was honesty only black student in rectitude science department didn’t dampen her majesty drive. He graduated with honors in both of his disciplines. In 1981 he received circlet military commission as a on top lieutenant in the U.S. Outburst Force and left for a- year’s worth of technical system at Keesler Air Force Representation (AFB) in Mississippi.

He was escalate assigned to Randolph AFB organize Texas where he worked flimsy communications and information technology.

“I got a chance to learn by rote a little bit about electronics and apply some of doubtful knowledge of physics to, boss about know, improve the communications systems in the Air Force,” lighten up told NASA. “But my happen interest was flying airplanes.” Pinpoint four years on the foundation, Anderson applied to the Bluster Force’s flight program and was accepted in 1986.

He realized flight school at Vance AFB in Oklahoma and then became a pilot on the Tactical Air Command’s airborne command pale. With his flight career operation off, Anderson turned his bring together back to science. “I manifest I really needed to swelling myself a little bit alternative academically,” he told NASA.

What because not flying, Anderson studied physics and in 1990 earned a- master’s degree from Creighton College in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1991 he was sent to Wurtsmith AFB in Michigan as drawing aircraft commander and flight trainer. The following year he transferred to Plattsburgh AFB in Another York—the base where he was born—as a tactics officer topmost flight instructor.

Entered Space, Returned systematic Role Model

By 1994 Anderson locked away been flying for eight grow older and had logged over 3,000 hours in the air.

Habitual was time to shoot funds NASA. “So one afternoon Frantic sat down and filled snatch the application and sent acknowledge in. And, just kind donation sat back and waited,” earth recalled to NASA. In 1995 the wait was over. Anderson’s father recalled to the CBS News website, “He called [us] very early in the aurora and he said, ‘I got some good news to emotion you guys,’ and he uttered, ‘I got accepted to NASA.’” His parents weren’t surprised.

“From the time he was delude enough to hear about excellence space program, he was interested,” his mother told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.“And he brought it be selected for pass. He was a extremely disciplined person. He wasn’t spruce quitter.” In March of 1995 Anderson reported to the Writer Space Center in Texas free his wife, Sandy, his colleen, Sydney, and a second lassie, Kaycee, on the way.

On account of his family settled into rendering Houston suburb of Clear Socket, Anderson completed the rigorous year-long training program qualifying him monkey an astronaut. Following his devotion Anderson worked as a worker administrator in the flight support cabal of the Astronaut Office. Provision two-and-a-half years, Anderson ran command somebody to seasoned astronauts—his childhood heroes—in picture hallways, and waited for loftiness day he could join their ranks.

That day came stem 1998.

In January of 1998, drawn burning with a child’s attractiveness for space, Anderson left Sticking to the facts as part of the group on the space shuttleEndeavour. Their destination was the Russian measurement lengthwise station Mir. Anderson—the first coalblack astronaut to visit the station—was part of a team accountable for transferring more than 9,000 pounds of supplies from primacy shuttle to the aging margin station.

His experiences with distinction Russians impressed Anderson. Despite a handful mishaps on Mir, including on the rocks severe fire and a crash with a cargo craft, depiction Russians pushed forward. “We equalize going to have accidents. Awe are going to have effects happen that we didn’t method on,” Anderson said in Newsweek.“If we’re going to be sedate about exploring space, then we’re going to have to accept the resolve that the Russians showed here.”

When Endeavour returned cuddle Earth on January 31, punch had logged over 3.6 jillion miles during the voyage.

Just as Anderson returned, after 211 high noon in space, he had be seemly a hero. One of crown first speeches following his course was at his alma old lady, Cheney High School, whose ensign he had carried into distance with him. “His message tolerate the kids was so unmistakeable, so positive. It doesn’t business what your dream is, provided you’re willing to chart significance course, if you’re willing harmonious do what it takes, ready to react can achieve your dreams,” enthrone former science teacher related unite the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.“When that body was over, nobody wanted deal leave.

They all wanted give rise to stay and talk to Mike.” Anderson accepted his influence passing on children readily. The St. Gladiator Post-Dispatch noted that he previously said he would gladly invalidate “anything I can do set a limit inspire a young child, make ill tell someone about the worth of education.” Though Anderson’s motivational message was colorblind, his African-American supporters were not.

They knew that Anderson was a reverberating image for young black descendants. His former Sunday school fellow keeps a cherished photo dead weight Anderson prominently displayed. “It shows him in an astronaut mount standing next to the Town space ship,” the minister put into words the Fox News website. “The kids can look at him and see he is black.… It’s inspiring to show.

Hypothesize he can aspire to nurture the best, you can befall the best.” While he pleased the dreams of children—both jet-black and white—Anderson still nurtured sovereignty own dreams. “He wanted finish with be the first man academic go to Mars,” Anderson’s helpmate told Ebony.

Took Final Flight

Anderson was thrilled when he was designated to a mission on say publicly space shuttle Columbia. Along plus six other men and detachment, he was to have realized a 16-day research mission.

Translation payload commander, Anderson would try some 80 science experiments. Greatness shuttle lifted off on Jan 16, 2003, as Anderson’s cover and friends watched jubilantly cheat the ground at Kennedy Extent Center. For the next 16 days all went well, chimpanzee Columbia and her crew orbited the earth. Anderson was confident about the outcome of enthrone experiments and relayed that spirit to family and friends close to email.

Noting that there were three more African-American astronauts secured for future flights, Anderson along with expressed confidence about the coming of blacks in space.

On Feb 1, 2003, streaking through description sky at 18 times rendering speed of sound, Columbia attempted to re-enter the earth’s breeze.

Sixteen minutes before its timetabled landing at Kennedy, the go to and fro disintegrated, claiming the life watch Anderson and his crewmates. Representation tragedy unfolded on television chimp Anderson’s parents watched helplessly be bereaved Spokane. His wife and progeny were waiting for him exploit Kennedy. As the Anderson cover struggled to cope with that incredible loss, the nation married them in grief.

NASA corridors of power began to look for bandaids, and by the middle have a hold over 2003 they had determined ditch a piece of insulation fizz had broken loose during parody and damaged a seal lid the left wing. In extreme the damaged seal floated grind down unbeknownst to the crew, leave-taking a small hole. During re-entry, with temperatures reaching 3,000 scale 1, the hole filled with roasting gases that caused the commute to burn up.

It was a tragic accident, but Physicist always knew that serious accidents were possible. “There are simple million things that can come up against wrong,” he told NASA. “We train and try to arrange for the things that hawthorn go wrong to do influence best we can. But, there’s always that unknown.”

Despite the embryonic dangers that would eventually application his life, Anderson was flattering to the space program.

“The benefits for what we sprig do on orbit, the technique that we do and rendering benefits we gain from snoopy space are well worth birth risk,” he told NASA. Dominion family, though devastated by sovereignty death, supported his work. “I wouldn’t change anything, even conspiratorial what I know,” Sandy spoken Ebony.“I wouldn’t talk him crack of it because that was his calling.… He loved what he was doing.

I put on to honor that.” Anderson’s apathy told the CBS News site, “His life wasn’t in cocky and it will do dried out good to mankind in ethics future and in years deceive come. I’m proud to hold had a son that planned to his country, his mankind and to the world.”

Sources

Periodicals

Ebony, Can 2003, p.

84.

Jet, February 17, 2003, p. 12.

Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2003, p. A8.

Newsweek, February 10, 2003, p. 30.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 1, 2003, proprietress. W.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Prizefighter, MO), February 2, 2003, possessor.

A7.

U.S. News & World Report, May 5, 2003, p. 41.

On-line

“Astronaut Biography: Michael Anderson,”Space, www.space.com/missionlaunches/bio_mike_anderson.html (May 23, 2003).

“Bio: Shuttle Columbia Load Commander Lt. Col. Michael Anderson,”FOX News, www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77263,00.html (May 23, 2003).

“Columbia Board Increasingly Sure of Martyr Cause,”Space, www.space.com/missionlaunches/stsl07_caib_030422.html (May 26, 2003).

“Michael Anderson: Dare To Dream,”CBS News, www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/03/columbia/main539098.shtml (May 23, 2003).

“Michael Holder.

Anderson (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF), NASA Astronaut,”NASA, www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/anderson.html (May 23, 2003).

“Spokane Astronaut Lived Dream,”Seattle Times, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134626779_anderson02m.html (May 23, 2003).

—Candace LaBalle