Listen to a REAL ASTRONAUT, Steven R. Swanson.

ABOUT STEVEN ...

CURRENT EMPOYMENT: Boise State University as a Distinguished Educator in Residence.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Steamboat Springs High School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from the University of Colorado, and a Master of Applied Science in Computer Systems from Florida Atlantic University, and a Doctorate in Computer Science from Texas A&M University.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Swanson joined NASA as a systems engineer and a flight engineer in the Aircraft Operations Division of NASA’s Johnson Space Center working on the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA). The STA is a complex airborne shuttle simulator, which models the flight characteristics of the space shuttle from 35,000 ft. to main gear touchdown. During his time with the STA, Swanson worked to improve the STA’s navigation and control systems and incorporate a real-time wind determination algorithm. Plus, he has completed over 6000 simulated Shuttle approaches.

In May of 1998, Swanson was selected as mission specialist by NASA and started training in August of 1998.  During his NASA career, Swanson has completed five spacewalks totaling 28 hours, 5 minutes and accumulated 195 days, 15 hours, 41 minutes in space.  Also, he has over 2800 hours of aircraft flight time.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-117 Atlantis (June 8-22, 2007), delivered the second starboard truss segment, the third set of United States solar arrays, batteries and associated equipment. STS-117 landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, having traveled 5.8 million miles in 14 days. Swanson was MS-2 (flight engineer), performed two spacewalks, and flew both robotic arms.

STS-119 Discovery (March 15-28, 2009 delivered the fourth and final starboard truss segment, S6. STS-119 landed at the NASA’s Kennedy Space Center after traveling 5.3 million miles in 13 days. Swanson was MS-2 (flight engineer) and was the lead spacewalker for the flight, performing two spacewalks.

On March 25, 2014, Swanson and two Russian crewmates launched aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket (TMA-12M) from Baikonur, Kazakhstan as members of Expedition 39. In May 2014, Swanson assumed command of the station with the departure of Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata. Expedition 40 concluded on September 10 with a safe landing in central Kazakhstan, marking an end to 169 days in space that covered almost 72 million miles in orbit.