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| Kevin Ford | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kevin Ford |
| Birth date | 07 July 1960 |
| Birth place | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Occupation | United States Air Force officer, Test pilot, NASA astronaut |
| Alma mater | United States Air Force Academy, Purdue University, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Missions | STS-110, Soyuz TMA-09M / Expedition 34/35 |
Kevin Ford is an American aviation officer,test pilot and former NASA astronaut who served on Space Shuttle and Soyuz missions, including a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station. He is noted for command and flight engineering roles in orbital assembly and station operations, and for his prior career in tactical aviation and experimental flight testing. Ford’s career spans service with the United States Air Force, graduate study at Purdue University, and assignments at major aerospace organizations such as NASA Johnson Space Center.
Ford was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and raised in the Midwestern United States, attending secondary school in the region before entering the United States Air Force Academy. At the Academy he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering and commissioned into the United States Air Force. He later completed a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at Purdue University where he conducted graduate-level work relevant to flight dynamics and propulsion. Ford completed professional military education including the Air Command and Staff College and attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River for experimental flight test training.
Following commissioning, Ford served as a pilot in tactical fighter units flying aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and later instructor and evaluator roles. He completed operational tours with Air Combat Command and performed deployments in support of United States Central Command operations. Selected for advanced flight test training at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Ford graduated from U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and conducted developmental and operational flight testing on multiple aircraft platforms for Air Force Materiel Command and industry partners. His test pilot assignments involved work with avionics, flight-control systems, and weapons integration, contributing to airworthiness evaluations and mission-capability expansions for frontline fighters. He accrued significant flight hours and qualifications prompting selection as an astronaut candidate by NASA.
At NASA Johnson Space Center Ford served as a flight test engineer and astronaut, supporting Space Shuttle flight crews in roles spanning systems evaluation, mission planning, and crew-goggle training. He was pilot on STS-110, a Space Shuttle Atlantis mission focused on construction and assembly of the International Space Station; the flight delivered and installed the S0 truss and involved complex extravehicular activity operations. Ford later commanded a long-duration mission to the International Space Station after launching aboard a Soyuz TMA spacecraft as part of Soyuz TMA-09M to join Expedition 34 and Expedition 35 crews. During his station tenure, he served as a flight engineer and conducted operations in support of research payloads, station maintenance, and international partner coordination with agencies including Roscosmos, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Canadian Space Agency.
Ford’s contributions encompass operational research related to human spaceflight systems, spacecraft docking procedures, and extravehicular activity techniques tested during assembly missions. He supported investigations into life-support system performance on the International Space Station and participated in microgravity experiments in disciplines coordinated by NASA, ESA, and partner institutions. His test pilot background informed flight-safety assessments and human factors analyses for cockpit avionics and crew interfaces, interfacing with engineers from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and other aerospace contractors on vehicle upgrades. Ford contributed to publications and technical briefings presented to organizations such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and panels convened by National Aeronautics and Space Administration advisory groups addressing long-duration mission requirements and crew health countermeasures.
Over his career Ford received numerous recognitions from military, governmental, and professional bodies. Honors include awards and commendations bestowed by the United States Air Force for flight excellence and leadership, as well as NASA decorations for mission performance. Professional acknowledgments include distinctions from Air Force Test Pilot School alumni associations and merit recognitions from aerospace industry groups such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has been cited in unit-level commendations and received service medals reflecting deployments, flight hours, and contributions to national spaceflight objectives.
Ford is married and has family ties in the United States, maintaining residences associated with assignments at Ellington Field, Johnson Space Center, and Air Force locations. He has engaged in outreach and public speaking for institutions such as the United States Air Force Academy, Purdue University, and science-education programs supported by NASA. Outside of professional duties he has interests in aviation history and supports veteran and aerospace community organizations.
Category:American astronauts Category:United States Air Force officers Category:People from Grand Rapids, Michigan