Second Spacefarer This Week To Leave Space Agency

It's a busy week for astronauts leaving NASA. One day after educator/astronaut Barbara Morgan announced plans to leave the space agency for a teaching position at Idaho's Boise State University, NASA announced veteran space shuttle astronaut James Reilly has left the space agency to accept a position in the private sector.

Reilly flew on three space shuttle missions to two space stations, logging more than 853 hours in space. He has conducted five spacewalks, totaling more than 31 hours

"Jim Reilly performed superbly as an astronaut over the course of his career at NASA," Astronaut Office chief Steve Lindsey said. "His technical, operational and people skills contributed directly to the success of the space shuttle and International Space Station programs. He was a key leader in the Astronaut Office and will be missed."

Selected as an astronaut in 1994, Reilly first flew in January 1998 aboard shuttle Endeavour's STS-89 mission, the eighth shuttle mission to visit the Russian space station Mir. He next flew in 2001 on STS-104 aboard shuttle Atlantis, performing three spacewalks during that flight to install the joint airlock on the International Space Station.

Reilly again flew on Atlantis in 2007 on STS-117, performing two spacewalks for construction and repair of the International Space Station.

FMI: www.nasa.gov