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Astronaut & Engineer, NASA

In 1995, Dr. Chamitoff joined Mission Operations at the Johnson Space Center, where he led the development of software applications for spacecraft attitude control monitoring, prediction, analysis, and maneuver optimization. One of these applications is the 3-D “big screen” display of the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle used by Mission Control.

Selected by NASA as an Astronaut Candidate in 1998, Dr. Chamitoff has worked on Space Station Robotics, served as Lead CAPCOM for ISS Expedition 9, supported the training of ISS Expedition 6 as a Crew Support Astronaut and helped to develop procedures and displays for ISS operations. In 2002, Dr. Chamitoff was a crewmember on the NEEMO-3 Mission (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations), living and working on the Aquarius undersea research habitat for 9 days.

In 2008, Dr. Chamitoff served as the Flight Engineer and Science Officer for a 6-month mission aboard the International Space Station during Expeditions 17 and 18. He launched to the station on Shuttle Mission STS-124 and returned to Earth on Shuttle Mission STS-126.

In 2011, Dr. Chamitoff served as a Mission Specialist on the last flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-134. During this mission, he performed operations with the Shuttle and Station Robotic Arms, including the installation of a pallet of spare equipment (ELC‑3) and a particle physics observatory called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), which holds great promise for fundamental breakthroughs in our understanding of the Universe.

He also performed two spacewalks, the last of which marked the completion of ISS assembly and was the final spacewalk of the Space Shuttle Program. To date, Dr. Chamitoff has logged more than 198 days in space.

Experience

  • 1998–present
    Astronaut, NASA
  • –present
    Adjunct Professor, Aeronautics, University of Sydney

Education

  • 2002 
    University of Houston Clear Lake, MS/Space Science (Planetary Geology)
  • 1992 
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology, PhD/Aeronautics and Astronautics