Changes Made In STS-132 Crew Assignments
NASA has assigned the crew for space shuttle mission STS-134
to the International Space Station. The flight will deliver the
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, to the station. The AMS is a
state-of-the-art cosmic ray particle physics detector designed to
examine fundamental issues about matter and the origin and
structure of the universe.
Navy Capt. Mark Kelly will command the STS-134 mission. Retired
Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson will serve as the pilot. Mission
Specialists are Air Force Col. Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff and
Andrew Feustel. European Space Agency astronaut and Italian Air
Force Col. Roberto Vittori also will serve as a mission
specialist.
The flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of
the AMS to the exterior of the space station using both the shuttle
and station arms. The AMS will be attached to the right side of the
station's truss, or backbone.
NASA also has named Air Force Col. Michael Good to replace Karen
Nyberg on shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission, targeted to launch in
May 2010. Nyberg is being replaced due to a temporary medical
condition. Nyberg will be assigned to a technical role while she
awaits a future assignment.
Kelly previously served as the pilot of STS-108 in 2001 and
STS-121 in 2006, and commander for STS-124 in 2008. He was born in
Orange, N.J., and considers West Orange, NJ, to be his hometown.
Kelly has a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine
Academy, King's Point, NY, and a master's degree from the Naval
Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.
Mark Kelly NASA Photo
Johnson previously flew as a pilot on STS-123 in 2008. He was
born in South Ruislip, Middlesex, United Kingdom, but graduated
from Park Hills High School in Fairborn, Ohio. Johnson has a
bachelor's from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO., and
master's degrees from Columbia University and the University of
Texas, Austin.
Greg Johnson NASA Photo
Fincke is a veteran of two long-duration missions aboard the
space station. He served as the NASA science officer and flight
engineer on Expedition 9, and commander for Expedition 18. He was
born in Pittsburgh and considers Emsworth, PA., his hometown. He
has an Associate Science degree from El Camino College in Torrance,
CA, two bachelor's degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, and master's degrees from Stanford University and the
University of Houston - Clear Lake.
Mike Fincke NASA Photo
Chamitoff, also a veteran of a long-duration spaceflight, served
as NASA science officer and a flight engineer on Expeditions 17 and
18. He was born in Montreal and grew up in San Jose, CA. He holds a
bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic State University, a
master's degree from the California Institute of Technology, a
second master's degree from UHCL and a doctorate from MIT.
STS-134 is the second mission for Feustel, who flew as a mission
specialist on STS-125 in May. He has an Associate Science degree
from Oakland Community College, MI, a bachelor's and a master's
degree from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, and a doctorate
from Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Feustel
considers Lake Orion, MI, his hometown.
Andrew Feusel NASA Photo
Vittori is a veteran of two prior spaceflights to the space
station aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He was born in
Viterbo, Italy. He received his bachelor's degree from the Italian
Air Force Academy and earned master's degrees from the University
of Naples and University of Perugia.
This will be the second mission for Good, who flew on STS-125.
He was born in Parma, Ohio, and considers Broadview Heights, Ohio
to be his hometown. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from
the University of Notre Dame.