Gregory Chamitoff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregory Chamitoff
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| Born |
Gregory Errol Chamitoff
6 August 1962 |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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198d 18h 2m |
| Selection | NASA Group 17 (1998) |
| Missions | STS-124/126 (Expedition 17/18) STS-134 |
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Mission insignia
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Aeronautics |
| Thesis | Robust Intelligent Flight Control for Hypersonic Vehicles (1992) |
Gregory Errol Chamitoff (born 6 August 1962) is an engineer and former NASA astronaut. He was born in Canada but is also an American citizen. He has traveled to space two times.
Gregory Chamitoff spent six months living on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2008. He also flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2011. This mission was the very last flight for the Space Shuttle Endeavour. On this trip, they delivered an important science tool called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the ISS.
Contents
Becoming an Astronaut: Early Life and Education
Gregory Chamitoff was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on August 6, 1962. When he was six years old, he watched the Apollo 11 Moon landing. This amazing event inspired him to dream of becoming an astronaut himself.
He went to several universities to study engineering and science:
- He graduated from Blackford High School in San Jose, California, in 1980.
- He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in 1984.
- He received a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1985.
- He earned a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992.
- He also got a Master of Science degree in Physical Sciences (Space Science) from the University of Houston–Clear Lake in 2002.
Early Career and Research
Before becoming an astronaut, Gregory Chamitoff worked on many interesting projects. As a student, he taught classes on designing electrical circuits. He also had summer jobs at different technology companies. For his college project, he even built a robot that could guide itself!
While studying at MIT, he worked on projects for NASA. He helped figure out how to safely unfold the Hubble Space Telescope. He also designed improvements for the Space Shuttle's autopilot system. From 1993 to 1995, he was a professor in Australia. There, he led a team that developed vehicles that could fly on their own. He wrote many papers about how to guide aircraft and spacecraft.
Joining NASA
In 1995, Chamitoff started working at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He developed computer programs to help control spacecraft.
NASA chose him to become an astronaut in 1998. He began his training in August 1998 and became a qualified mission specialist in 2000. He worked on the Space Station Robotics team. He was also a lead CAPCOM for the ISS. A CAPCOM is the person who talks to the astronauts in space from Mission Control.
In July 2002, Chamitoff spent nine days living in an undersea research lab called Aquarius. This was part of a mission called NEEMO 3. It helped NASA prepare astronauts for living in extreme environments like space.
Living in Space: Expeditions 17 and 18
Gregory Chamitoff went on a long mission to the International Space Station. He launched into space on Space Shuttle mission STS-124. He worked as a flight engineer and science officer for Expedition 17. He returned to Earth on Space Shuttle mission STS-126, after spending six months living and working in space.
During his time on the ISS, Chamitoff brought some fun things with him. He took the first bagels into space! He had 18 sesame seed bagels from his cousin's bakery. He also brought a special chess set that stuck to surfaces with velcro. He played chess games against people on Earth, and the games became very competitive! In 2008, he even voted in an election from outer space.
While he was on the ISS, he and another astronaut, Richard Garriott, filmed the first magic show in space. They also made a science-fiction movie called Apogee of Fear with other crew members.
After his mission, Chamitoff used his experience to help create the Zero Robotics competition. In this competition, high school students learn to program special robots called SPHERES.
Final Space Shuttle Mission: STS-134
Chamitoff served as a mission specialist on STS-134. This was the second-to-last Space Shuttle mission ever. During this mission, he performed two spacewalks. His last spacewalk helped complete the construction of the International Space Station.
Post-NASA Career
After leaving NASA, Gregory Chamitoff became a professor at Texas A&M University. He teaches aerospace engineering. He also teaches about human spaceflight and how to control spacecraft. He has also been a professor at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Awards and Honors
Gregory Chamitoff has received many awards and honors for his achievements:
- California Astronaut Hall of Fame
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal
- NASA Space Flight Medal
- Honored Alumnus CalPoly
- AIAA Associate Fellow
- AIAA Technical Excellence Award
- NASA Silver Snoopy award
- NASA/USA Space Flight Awareness Award
- Eagle Scout
Personal Life
Gregory Chamitoff is married to Alison Chantal Caviness. They have two children.
He enjoys many hobbies, including scuba diving, backpacking, flying, skiing, racquetball, Aikido, juggling, magic, and playing the guitar. He is also a certified divemaster and a pilot. He loves chess and has played games with people on Earth while he was living on the ISS.
Gallery
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Gregory Chamitoff on the International Space Station (ISS), early November 2008.
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Expedition 17 crew portrait B
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Chamitoff during the final spacewalk of the STS-134 mission.
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STS-134 Mark Kelly, Roberto Vittori and Greg Chamitoff during a break in the Unity node
See also
In Spanish: Gregory Chamitoff para niños
