Gregory Chamitoff

Gregory Chamitoff is a former NASA astronaut, engineer, and professor who logged nearly 200 days in space across two long-duration stays aboard the International Space Station and multiple Space Shuttle missions. He served as a flight engineer for Expedition 17 and Expedition 18, and later as a mission specialist on the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Following his NASA career, he transitioned into academia, holding professorships in aerospace engineering and serving as the Director of the Aerospace Technology Research and Operations Center at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Early life and education

Born in Montreal, Quebec, he developed an early interest in space exploration. He completed his undergraduate studies in Electrical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. He then pursued advanced degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where his research focused on robotics and control theory. He earned both a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Aeronautics and Astronautics, with his doctoral dissertation involving the development of autonomous control systems for space applications.

NASA career

Selected as a mission specialist as part of NASA Astronaut Group 18 in 1996, his initial technical assignments included roles in the Astronaut Office Robotics branch and the Space Station Operations branch. He contributed to the development of software and procedures for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station robotic arms, including the Canadarm2 and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. Prior to his first flight, he also served as a CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) in Mission Control Center in Houston for several Space Shuttle and International Space Station expeditions.

Spaceflight experience

His first spaceflight was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-124 in 2008, which delivered the Japanese Experiment Module Kibō to the International Space Station. He remained on the station as a flight engineer, joining Expedition 17 alongside commander Sergey Volkov and flight engineer Oleg Kononenko. He later continued his stay as part of Expedition 18 under commander Michael Fincke. During his six-month residency, he conducted two spacewalks and numerous scientific experiments. He returned to Earth aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-126. His final mission was as a mission specialist on STS-134, the final flight of Endeavour, which delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the orbital laboratory.

Post-NASA career and academia

After retiring from NASA in 2011, he joined the faculty of Texas A&M University as a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. His academic work focused on spacecraft design, astrodynamics, and human spaceflight systems. In 2016, he returned to his alma mater, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he was appointed a professor and later became the Director of the Aerospace Technology Research and Operations Center. He has also served as a member of the NASA Advisory Council and contributed to various studies on the future of space exploration for organizations like the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Awards and honors

His contributions to space exploration have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the NASA Space Flight Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. He is also a recipient of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Jeffries Aerospace Medicine and Life Sciences Research Award. For his work in academia, he was awarded the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a fellow of the American Astronautical Society and the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Category:American astronauts Category:Canadian astronauts Category:International Space Station personnel Category:NASA astronauts Category:1962 births Category:Living people