Donald Pettit

Donald Pettit
Name	Donald Pettit
Caption	Pettit in a NASA portrait
Type	NASA Astronaut
Nationality	American
Status	Active
Birth date	20 April 1955
Birth place	Silverton, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation	Chemical engineer
Rank	Captain, USNR
Selection	1996 NASA Group
Time	370d 16h 41m
Mission	STS-113, Expedition 6, STS-126, Expedition 30, Expedition 31
Insignia	50px 50px 50px 50px 50px

Donald Pettit is an American NASA astronaut, chemical engineer, and prolific spaceflight researcher. A veteran of three long-duration missions to the International Space Station and two Space Shuttle flights, he is renowned for his innovative in-flight science demonstrations and photography. Pettit's career is distinguished by his ability to conduct complex scientific research in microgravity and his engaging public outreach from orbit.

Early life and education

Born in Silverton, Oregon, Pettit developed an early interest in science. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University in 1978. He then pursued graduate studies at the University of Arizona, receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in chemical engineering in 1983. Before his selection by NASA, he worked as a staff scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, conducting research in various fields including materials science and combustion.

NASA career

Selected as a mission specialist candidate with NASA Astronaut Group 16 in 1996, Pettit completed two years of training at the Johnson Space Center. His technical assignments have included roles in the International Space Station and Space Shuttle branches, where he supported numerous missions. He served as a Cape Crusader (Cape CAPCOM) in Mission Control Center for several Space Shuttle flights and was deeply involved in developing scientific procedures for the orbital laboratory.

Spaceflight experience

Pettit's first spaceflight was aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-113 in 2002, which delivered the P1 Truss to the International Space Station. He remained on the station as a flight engineer for Expedition 6, a mission dramatically extended following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. He returned to Earth aboard a Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft after 161 days in space. His second flight was on STS-126 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2008. His third and longest mission was as a flight engineer for Expedition 30 and Expedition 31, launching on Soyuz TMA-03M in 2011 and spending over 193 days aboard the International Space Station.

Scientific research and experiments

Pettit is celebrated for his improvised science demonstrations, famously creating a zero-gravity coffee cup and conducting physics experiments with water films. He has conducted extensive research in fluid physics, materials processing, and combustion in microgravity. During Expedition 6, he performed the Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test (DAFT) and grew protein crystals. On later missions, he worked with facilities like the Fluid Science Laboratory and the Microgravity Science Glovebox, contributing to experiments for the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Awards and honors

For his service, Pettit has received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Space Flight Medal multiple times, and the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal. He was also awarded the Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. His contributions to public outreach were recognized with the NASA Public Service Medal for his engaging "Science off the Sphere" video series filmed aboard the International Space Station.

Personal life

Pettit is married and has two sons. An avid photographer, his images of Earth and celestial phenomena from the International Space Station are widely published. He is a Captain in the United States Navy Reserve. In his spare time, he enjoys astronomy, flying, and sailing, and he continues to be an active advocate for STEM education through public lectures and engagements.

Category:American astronauts Category:International Space Station personnel Category:NASA astronauts Category:1955 births Category:Living people