Michael P Anderson

Michael Phillip Anderson (December 25, 1959 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Air Force lieutenant colonel and NASA astronaut. He died in the space shuttle Columbia accident.

Biography

Michael Anderson was born in Plattsburgh, New York, but considered Spokane, Washington his hometown. He was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force (USAF) and as a NASA astronaut he served as mission specialist for Columbia STS-107.

Anderson died in the Columbia tragedy on February 1, 2003 over the southern United States 16 minutes before landing, leaving behind a wife and two daughters.

Education

Anderson is a 1977 graduate of Cheney High School in Cheney, Washington. In 1981 she earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Washington, and in 1990 a Master of Science in Physics from Creighton University.

Special Honors

Distinguished graduate of the USAF Electronic Communications Officers course. In 1983 he received the Armed Forces Electronic Communications Associations Award for Academic Excellence. He also received the USAF Pilot Training Degree Program Academic Achievement Award for Class 87-09 at Vance Air Force Base, was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, the USAF Service, and the USAF Achievement Medal with an 'Oak Leaf Cluster'.

Experience

Anderson in the Columbia cabin.

Anderson graduated from the University of Washington in 1981 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After completing a year of technical training at Keesler Air Force Base (BFA), Mississippi, he was posted to the BFA in Randolph, Texas. At Randolph he served as Chief of Communications Maintenance for the 2015 Communications Squadron and later as Director of Information System Maintenance for the Information System Group. In 1986 he was selected to attend Pilot Training at the BFA in Vancé, Oklahoma. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 2nd Air Command and Control Squadron at the BFA in Offutt, Nebraska as an EC 135 pilot. From January 1991 to September 1992, he served as an air commander and pilot instructor with the 920th Air Force Squadron. Air Refueling at the BFA in Wutsmith, Michigan. From September 1992 to February 1995 he was assigned as a pilot instructor and tactical officer with the 380th Air Refueling Wing at the BFA in Plattsburgh, New York. Anderson logged over 3,000 flight hours on various models of the KC-135 and T-38A.

NASA experience

Michael Anderson was selected by NASA in December 1994 and reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. Anderson completed a year of training and evaluation and qualified as a mission specialist. Anderson was first assigned to technical duties in the Flight Support Division of the Astronaut Office. He made his first space flight with the STS-89 mission, his last mission was STS-107 Columbia which ended abruptly on February 1, 2003. In total Anderson logged 24 days, 18 hours and 7 seconds in space.

Space flight experience

Mission STS-89 Endeavour (January 22-31, 1998), was the eighth Shuttle mission with the Mir space station. In the fifth and final exchange by a US astronaut, STS-89 carried Andy Thomas to Mir and returned with David Wolf. The mission duration was 8 days, 19 hours and 47 seconds, traveling 5.8 million kilometers in 138 Earth orbits.

Mission STS-107 Columbia (January 16-February 1, 2003). This 16-day mission was dedicated to scientific research, to which he was assigned 24 hours a day in two alternating shifts. The crew successfully carried out nearly 80 experiments. The mission ended in tragedy when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry over the skies of the southwestern United States with only 16 minutes to go before landing. The cause of this tragedy originated on launch day when a piece of insulating foam from the External Tank detached and damaged the lower part of the Orbiter's left wing, tearing off some thermal protection tiles. On the day of reentry, the absence of these tiles caused the internal structure to overheat, causing destabilization and consequently disintegration of the ship, killing its 7 crew members.

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