Will Help NASA Get Its Groove Back
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe
today appointed astronaut C. Michael Foale as Deputy Associate
Administrator for Exploration Operations reporting to both NASA's
Associate Administrators for Exploration Systems and Space
Operations.
Foale will advise the mission directorate senior leadership on
immediate, near term opportunities to refocus and realign training,
operations, engineering support and life sciences research towards
accomplishing the Vision for Space Exploration.
"Mike brings his unique science and mission background to NASA
Headquarters during a critical and exciting time for the agency.
His knowledge, hands on experience, forward thinking and passion
for exploration will enhance the efforts of the Exploration Systems
and Space Operations Directorates for furthering the Vision for
Space Exploration," Administrator O'Keefe said.
Foale's principal objectives are to ensure primary user needs,
lessons learned and potential risk areas have been considered based
on input from recognized experts from across NASA. The experts
include astronauts, scientists, researchers, flight operators,
logisticians, maintenance directors and other key personnel from
critical areas affecting operations. He will work with key
leadership across operations and research disciplines to assess
NASA's human space flight activities and enhance alignment of
current space operations and new exploration programs.
His tasking with the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate
will entail leading activities and program planning efforts in
support of advanced human and robotic space exploration missions.
He will participate on multi-discipline teams to define and develop
exploration scenarios, project objectives, mission architectures,
flight operations and technology development strategies.
He will coordinate the transition of development programs to
operational activities within established milestones to validate
and test achievement of operational concepts and objectives.
NASA selected Foale as an astronaut candidate in June 1987.
Before his first space flight, he flew the Shuttle Avionics
Integration Laboratory (SAIL) simulator to provide verification and
testing of Space Shuttle flight software. He later developed crew
rescue and integrated operations for the International Space
Station (ISS).
In preparation for a long-duration flight on the Russian Space
Station Mir, Foale trained at the Cosmonaut Training Center, Star
City, Russia. Foale also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office
Expedition Corps, and as Assistant Director (Technical) of NASA's
Johnson Space Center (JSC). He is a veteran of six space flights
and has logged more than 374 days in space, including four space
walks (EVA), totaling 22 hours and 44 minutes. He holds the US
record for time spent in space.
He served as a mission specialist on STS-45, STS-56, STS-63 and
STS-103. He was Flight Engineer 2 on Mir 23 and Mir 24 (ascent on
STS-84 and return on STS-86). He served as ISS Expedition 8
Commander on his last flight, October 18, 2003 to April 29,
2004.
The Expedition 8 crew launched from
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan aboard Soyuz TMA-3 and docked with
the ISS on October 20, 2003. His six-month tour of duty aboard the
ISS included a 3 hour, 55 minute EVA. Mission duration was 194
days, 18 hours and 35 minutes. At its conclusion Foale became the
US record holder for most cumulative time in space having logged
374 days, 11 hours and 19 minutes.
Born January 6, 1957, in Louth, England, he considers Cambridge,
England, his hometown. He graduated from Kings School, Canterbury,
England in 1975. He attended the University of Cambridge, Queens'
College, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics and Natural
Sciences in 1978. He completed his doctorate in Laboratory
Astrophysics at Cambridge University in 1982.
While a postgraduate at Cambridge University, Foale participated
in the organization and execution of scientific scuba diving
projects. Pursuing a career in the US Space Program, Foale moved to
Houston to work on Space Shuttle navigation problems at McDonnell
Douglas Aircraft Corporation. In June 1983, Foale joined JSC in the
payload operations area of the Mission Operations Directorate. As a
payload officer in the Mission Control Center, he was responsible
for payload operations on Space Shuttle missions STS-51G, 51-I,
61-B and 61-C.
FMI: www.nasa.gov