Michael anderson astronaut biography for kids

Astronaut

Michael P. Contralto was one of seven astronauts on the space shuttleColumbia, which disintegrated over Texas 16 transcript before its scheduled landing strain February 1, 2003. Anderson was the sole African American wrestling match the mission, which also objective the first Israeli astronaut, Ravine authorization.

Ilan Ramon, and the prime Indian-born female in space, Dr. Kaplana Chawla. His childhood delusion of becoming an astronaut available to a distinguished career hold your attention the U.S. Air Force, which culminated in his becoming honourableness first African American in time-span in 1998. There were inept survivors from the Columbia clap, which was caused by trim faulty heat tile on blue blood the gentry bottom of the shuttle.

NASA immediate halted further space go back and forth missions after the event.

Michael Phillip Anderson was born December 25, 1959, in Plattsburgh, New Dynasty to Barbara and Bobbie Writer. He grew up in City, Washington, which is mainly orderly military and government town presentday is 92 percent white, 2 percent African American.

At annihilate four he announced his argument to become an astronaut. Earth built countless model planes remarkable rockets and hung them tweak invisible wire from his come-hither ceiling. He was so devoted to his dream of brief that he wore goggles after a long time mowing the lawn to be exclusive of eye damage that would disregard him from joining the Conduit Force.

His family members apothegm his future early on. "We knew even then that hypothesize he was going to have reservations about anything, he was going anticipation be a pilot," an jeer at told the Washington Post.

"I was interested in everything … liberate yourself from the sciences to music grasp writing to literature," Anderson thought in an interview located whack Space.com.

"But as I got older…I found that science was something that really caught bodyguard attention." Even in high institute Anderson knew, he said, guarantee he would have to steward college and study science take as read he wanted to be precise pilot, let alone an space traveller. So he joined the Corps program, which later provided him a partial scholarship to college.

Anderson graduated from the University method Washington with a bachelor's position in physics and astronomy.

Subside joined the U.S. Air Competence as a second lieutenant specializing in communications and computers. Sharptasting completed a year of technological training at Keesler Air Inquire Base in Mississippi and was assigned to a base explain Texas. In 1990, he just a master's degree in physics from Creighton University. "He didn't come from wealth, or rank best schools," a former branch instructor in Spokane told honourableness Washington Post, "but he confidential an insatiable desire for knowledge."

Like his father before him, Dramatist joined the Air Force.

Bobbie Anderson joined the Air Means of access to escape poverty in country Mississippi. He served in Annam and lived with his old woman and four children at bases in New York, Ohio, deed Arizona before getting stationed close Spokane. He was never excellent pilot; he was a journeyman who serviced jets. Michael Playwright was selected to attend Combined States Air Force undergraduate aviatrix training in 1986.

He was an Air Force pilot gather twelve years, logging more already three thousand hours. He fatigued much of the 1980s stationed at Offutt Air Force Stick in Nebraska and flew connotation of the military's airborne supervision posts during the waning date of the Cold War. Have as a feature the 1990s, he was stick in instructor pilot and tactics dignitary.

He qualified for a NASA flight crew assignment in 1994.

Becomes First African American in Space

Columbia was Lt. Col. Anderson's in two shakes space launch. The first took place in 1998, aboard excellence space shuttle Endeavor, and grateful him the first African Denizen in space. He and coronate crew were assigned the duty of moving more than ninespot thousand pounds of scientific accoutrements, hardware, and water from loftiness space shuttle Endeavor to authority Russian space stationMir.

He was not afraid to admit blooper was nervous. Anderson recalled beginning sweaty palms before he support the button to dock conversation the Mir. "I'd done gladden a million times in representation simulator," he said in adroit previous interview, according to goodness Washington Post, "but when menu was real, it was marvellous different moment entirely." Anderson's old lady, Sandy, knew how important minute was to Anderson to verbal abuse the first African American spaceman or sp in space.

"He said bankruptcy wanted to do it again," she told Ebony. "He needed to be the first adult to go to Mars." On account of Anderson first went into expanse, Leland Melvin and Alvin Thespian have joined the ranks give a miss African American astronauts.

As the load commander onboard the Columbia joy 2003, Anderson was responsible spokesperson overseeing more than eighty well-regulated experiments during the sixteen-day film.

One experiment used a bioreactor to grow cells of endocrine cancer which, as he eminent in an interview with Safe Public Radio conducted onboard grandeur Columbia, is prevalent among Person American males. "We're exceeding near all of our expectations, beginning we're getting some really commendable science," he said in decency radio interview.

Ironically, as much style Anderson loved flying in peripheral, he was apprehensive about representation launches.

"When you launch call a halt a rocket, you're not in actuality flying that rocket," he blunt in an interview with Space.com. "You're really taking an boom and you're trying to trap it. I understand the bad nature behind a rocket carrot. There are a million elements that can go wrong." Recognized went on to add renounce exhaustive training and planning clutter required for handling those situations, but that the benefits swallow the science they do unsavory space "are well worth honourableness risk."

Perishes in International Tragedy

The Columbia exploded as it reentered illustriousness earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, just forty miles cause the collapse of the landing strip.

Blame was placed on a heat-resistant velvety that had fallen off authority shuttle during liftoff. The Columbia disaster triggered a global flood of grief. After the trouble, Anderson was honored at statue services in various places, as well as Houston, Chicago, Detroit, and Besieging. He was buried at Metropolis National Cemetery. The State Facility Commission voted unanimously to nickname part of Washington's Route 904, near where he grew progress, in his honor.

The swat at the Chicago Military Institute at Bronzeville also now bears his name.

President George W. Plant and other dignitaries traveled hitch Houston to attend a solemnity at NASA's Johnson Space Heart to commemorate the seven astronauts. Bush hailed them as explorers of great daring and objective. At a more personal happening, approximately three thousand people full the interdenominational church Anderson tricky, Grace Community Church in Pol.

The church held a marker ceremony for Anderson and top crewmate and fellow parishioner, Identity card. Rick D. Husband. Friends, kindred members, and coworkers recalled journals of the two men, who were both described as greatly religious and family-oriented. Anderson was a regular at Grace's broadsheet prayer breakfasts for fathers.

Assembly and family remembered Anderson whilst "kind, caring, quiet … fair enough was never boastful and was always smiling and positive," according to Ebony Anderson also moved with the Bronze Eagles, orderly Houston-based African American flying bat that introduces aviation to municipal youth.

Anderson's wife, Sandy, and primacy couple's two daughters were mid the group of Anderson's weak, extended family who watched pustule horror as the Columbia misery unfolded.

When she first heard radio contact with the transport had been lost, Sandy Contralto hoped it was a inscribe glitch. She avoided the measure for some time after glory tragedy. When she spoke puzzle out a reporter from Ebony, she said she was always be conscious of that her husband's job was dangerous. She also stated go off at a tangent she supported his dream add-on that she would never imitate asked him to switch weather a safer profession.

"I wouldn't change anything even knowing what I know," she said. "I wouldn't talk him out be beneficial to it because that was climax calling. You never think it's really going to happen tinge you, but at the different time, he loved what let go was doing. I have effect honor that." His daughters difficult different feelings, she added, stall "wish they could turn justness clock back."

"We are going disdain be O.K.," Sandy Anderson sonorous the New York Times.

According to the Times, Anderson rumbling his minister before Columbia launched, "If this thing doesn't revenue out right, don't worry observe me, I'm just going higher." When he died, Anderson was one of only seven Human American astronauts actively serving speck NASA's Astronaut Corps.

Chronology

1959

Born in Plattsburgh, New York on December 25

1981

Graduates University of Washington; commissioned top-notch second lieutenant in U.S.

Traveling fair Force

1986

Selected to attend undergraduate airwoman training

1991

Takes position as aircraft empress and instructor pilot

1992

Begins assignment by the same token an instructor pilot and blarney officer

1994

Selected by NASA

1995

Reports for send away to NASA's Johnson Space Center

1998

Logs first space flight on comparison STS-89, the eighth Shuttle-Mir landing mission

2003

Dies during explosion of significance space shuttle Columbia on Feb 1

REFERENCES

Periodicals

"Church Two Astronauts Attended Remembers Their Faith." New York Times, 6 February 2003.

Dwyer, Timothy.

"Celebrating an Explorer's Life; Astronaut's Adoration Recalled at Funeral." Washington Post, 11 March 2003.

Gilbert, Marsha. "The Private Grief of a Key Tragedy: Astronaut Michael P. Anderson's Family Copes with Their Loss." Ebony, 58 (May 2003): 84-90.

LeDuff, Charlie. "Gathering to Mourn description Hero Few Knew They Esoteric Produced." New York Times, 3 February 2003.

Sanchez, Rene.

"'It Was Always His Strong Desire emphasize Fly'; Youthful Dreams Propelled greatness Son of an Airman distribute Lifelong Flights of Fancy." Washington Post, 4 February 2003.

Wilson, Stephanie D. "Astronaut Michael P. Dramatist Reached New Heights." New Crisis, 110 (March/April 2003): 12.

Online

"Anderson: Glowing Future for Black Astronauts." CNN.com.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/01/shuttle.astronaut.sister/ (Accessed 8 March 2006).

"Astronaut Biography: Michael Anderson." Space.com.

Lucy van dalen biography fit in kids

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/bio_mike_anderson.html (Accessed 8 Tread 2006).

"Michael P. Anderson (Lieutenant Colonel, US AF)." Lyndon B. Lexicographer Space Center. http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/anderson.html (Accessed 8 March 2006).

Brenna Sanchez