Nancy J. Currie-Gregg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nancy Currie
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Nancy Jane Decker
December 29, 1958 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Colonel, USA |
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Time in space
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41d 15h 32m |
| Selection | NASA Group 13 (1990) |
| Missions | STS-57 STS-70 STS-88 STS-109 |
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Mission insignia
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Nancy Jane Currie-Gregg is an amazing American engineer, a brave officer in the United States Army, and a NASA astronaut. She has served in the Army for over 22 years and holds the rank of colonel. As an astronaut, she has flown on four Space Shuttle missions: STS-57, STS-70, STS-88, and STS-109. In total, she has spent about 1,000 hours (that's over 41 days!) in space. Today, she is a professor at Texas A&M University.
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Early Life and Education
Nancy Jane Decker was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on December 29, 1958. Her family later moved to Troy, Ohio, which she considers her hometown. She finished Troy High School in 1977.
Nancy loved learning! She earned a college degree (a Bachelor of Arts) in biological science from Ohio State University in 1980. Later, she got a Master's degree in safety engineering from the University of Southern California in 1985. She then went on to earn a PhD (Doctorate) in industrial engineering from the University of Houston in 1997.
Military Service
Nancy Currie-Gregg has dedicated over 23 years to serving in the United States Army. Before she joined NASA in 1987, she trained to be a pilot for helicopters. She then became an instructor pilot at the U.S. Army Aviation School.
She held many important leadership roles, like section leader and platoon leader. As a highly skilled Army Aviator, she has flown over 3,900 hours in many different types of aircraft, including both helicopters and airplanes.
Becoming an Astronaut
Dr. Currie-Gregg started working at NASA's Johnson Space Center in September 1987. She was a flight simulation engineer, helping to train astronauts using a special aircraft that could fly like the Space Shuttle.
In 1990, she was chosen to become an astronaut herself! She worked on developing robotic tools and procedures for both the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. She also served as a spacecraft communicator, talking to astronauts in space from mission control.
Nancy Currie-Gregg was also in charge of the Astronaut Office's Robotics and Payloads branches. She helped develop advanced robotics systems for NASA. She is a true expert in how humans and machines work together in space.
Space Shuttle Missions
Nancy Currie-Gregg flew on four exciting Space Shuttle missions, spending a total of 1,000 hours in space. She was a mission specialist and flight engineer on all her flights.
STS-57: Retrieving a Satellite
Her first mission was STS-57 on the Space Shuttle Endeavour, from June 21 to July 1, 1993. The main goal was to bring back a European satellite called EURECA from space.
This mission also carried a special module called Spacehab, which was like an extra room for experiments in microgravity (where things float). Dr. Currie-Gregg used the Shuttle's robot arm to help during a spacewalk performed by two other crew members. The mission orbited Earth 155 times!
STS-70: Deploying a Communication Satellite
Her second mission was STS-70 on the Space Shuttle Discovery, from July 13 to 22, 1995. The five-person crew deployed the very last Tracking and Data Relay Satellite for NASA. This satellite helped complete a network of communication satellites that NASA uses.
Dr. Currie-Gregg also performed many experiments related to health and remote sensing. The mission orbited Earth 143 times.
STS-88: Building the Space Station
STS-88 on Endeavour (December 4–15, 1998) was a super important mission! It was the very first mission to start building the International Space Station (ISS). The main goal was to connect the first American-made module, called Unity, to the first Russian-made module, Zarya.
Dr. Currie-Gregg's main job was to use the Shuttle's 50-foot robot arm. She used it to grab Zarya and connect the two first parts of the space station together. She also operated the robot arm during three spacewalks. During the mission, the crew even went inside the new space station to set up systems and communication equipment.
STS-109: Repairing the Hubble Telescope
Her final mission was STS-109 on the Space Shuttle Columbia, from March 1 to 12, 2002. This was the fourth mission to service the amazing Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Currie-Gregg's main role was to use the Shuttle's 50-foot robot arm to grab the telescope and then put it back into space after the crew finished their work. She also operated the robot arm during five spacewalks where astronauts upgraded and repaired Hubble. They replaced solar panels, installed a new camera, and added a cooling system. After the repairs, Hubble was boosted to a higher orbit to continue taking incredible pictures of the universe!
After Space Missions
After the Space Shuttle Columbia accident in 2003, Nancy Currie-Gregg was chosen to lead the Space Shuttle Program's Safety and Mission Assurance Office. This meant she was in charge of making sure future missions were as safe as possible.
She also worked as a Senior Technical Advisor for robotics and simulation at the Johnson Space Center. She is currently a professor in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University.
In 2022, Dr. Currie-Gregg was a main speaker at a conference about ergonomics (designing things to fit people better). She talked about her career in space travel and how ergonomics played a role.
Awards and Honors
Nancy Currie-Gregg has received many awards for her amazing work:
- Arts and Sciences Award for Scholarship, Ohio State University (1980)
- Distinguished Graduate of the Army Air Defense Artillery Officer Basic Course (1981)
- Honor Graduate of the Army Rotary Wing Aviator Course (1982)
- Honor Graduate of the Army Aviation Officer Advanced Course (1986)
- Defense Superior Service Medals (2)
- Legion of Merit
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Army Service Ribbon
- NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (2005)
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1998, 2012)
- NASA Flight Simulation Engineering Award (1988)
- NASA Space Flight Medals (4)
- Silver Snoopy award
- Ohio Veteran's Hall of Fame (1994)
- Troy, Ohio Hall of Fame (1996)
- Ohio State University Army ROTC Hall of Fame (1996)
- Silver Order of St. Michael, Army Aviation Award (1997)
See also
In Spanish: Nancy J. Currie-Gregg para niños
