Michael E. Fossum

Air Force

Fossum commanded Squadron 3 in the Corps of Cadets while studying at Texas A&M and earning a mechanical engineering degree in 1980. He later completed a master’s in physical science with a space science focus at the University of Houston. After being chosen for Air Force Test Pilot School, he piloted 34 different aircraft types. In 1992 he moved from active duty to the Air Force Reserve to join NASA, retiring as a colonel in 2010.

NASA

Fossum first became interested in being an astronaut at age 12 while watching the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and rekindled this dream while with the Air Force at Johnson Space Center during the early 1990s. In January 1993, he was employed by NASA as a systems engineer, evaluating the Russian Soyuz spacecraft for use as an emergency escape vehicle for the International Space Station. Later that year, he was selected to represent the Flight Crew Operations Directorate in an extensive redesign of the ISS.

He continued work for the crew office and Mission Operations Directorate in assembly operations. In 1996, he supported the Astronaut Office as a Technical Assistant for Space Shuttle. In 1997, he served as a Flight Test Engineer on the X-38, a prototype crew escape vehicle for the ISS. Selected as an astronaut candidate in June 1998 after applying during almost every selection period since 1988 (7 times), he reported for training in August 1998.

He previously served as the Astronaut Office Lead for ISS flight software development and as a Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control, including Lead CAPCOM for ISS Expedition 6. After returning to Earth in 2011, he served as assistant to the chief of the astronaut office for the International Space Station.

Space flight

Michael E. Fossum first traveled to space on July 4, 2006, as a mission specialist for STS-121, where he completed three spacewalks. On July 8, he and Piers Sellers spent seven and a half hours outside the International Space Station, repairing it and testing the shuttle’s robotic arm as a repair platform. In 2008, he served as a mission specialist on STS-124, launching May 31 to deliver Japan’s Kibo Laboratory module. As lead spacewalker for EVA-1, he worked with Ron Garan on three spacewalks during the 14-day mission.

On June 7, 2011, he launched aboard Soyuz TMA-02M with Sergey Volkov and Satoshi Furukawa, joining Expedition 28. During that expedition, he performed his seventh spacewalk with Ron Garan, lasting six hours and 31 minutes. They retrieved a failed pump module, installed two experiments, and repaired a base for Canadarm2. Fossum later commanded Expedition 29 from September 9 to November 21, 2011, returning to Earth on November 22.

Did You Know?

• Fossum applied for NASA's astronaut program during almost every selection period since 1988—seven times—before being selected in June 1998.
• During Expedition 28, Fossum performed his seventh spacewalk with Ronald Garan, lasting 6 hours and 31 minutes, to retrieve a failed pump module and install experiments.
• A junior high school in McAllen, Texas, has been named after Fossum.