Celebrating Black History Month: Ruth Lucas, first African American woman to become a colonel in the US Air Force

 

Ruth Lucas, born November 28, 1920 in Stamford, Connecticut, became the first African American woman in the US Air Force to be promoted to colonel.  She graduated from the Tuskegee University in Alabama in 1942.

Shorly after, she enlisted in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and was one of the first black women to attend the now Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. She transfered from the Army to the Air Force in 1947.

She was stationed at an Air Force base in Tokyo in the 1950s where she taught English to Japanese students. She received a master's degree in educational psychology from Columbia University in 1957.  

When Lucas was promoted to colonel in 1968, she was a general education and counseling services assistant in the office of the deputy assistant secretary of defense for education at the Pentagon. She retired from the Air Force in 1970. 

She passed away in March 2013 in Washington, DC.

A Tribute to Ruth Lucas

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Daniel Barry!

Daniel Barry, born December 30, 1953 in Norwalk, Connecticut, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights. 

His first flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-72) as mission specialist in January 1996.  He conducted a spacewalk with fellow astronaut Leroy Chiao.

His second flight was aboard Discovery (STS-96) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in May-June 1999.  He conducted an EVA with fellow astronaut Tamara Jernigan.

HIs third and final flight was aboard Discovery (STS-105) as mission specialist to the International Space Station.  He conducted two EVAs with fellow astronaut Patrick Forrester. 

Happy birthday, astronaut Kathleen Rubins!

Kathleen Rubins, born October 14, 1978 in Farmington, Connecticut, has spent 115 days in space aboard the International Space Station. She launched in Soyuz MS-01 in July 2016.  She took part in Expeditions 48 and 49.  She has conducted two EVAs for a total time of 12 hours, 46 minutes.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Sherwood Spring!

Sherwood Spring, born September 3, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut, went into space aboard space shuttle Atlantis (STS-61-B) as mission specialist in November-December 1985.  During the mission, he performed two EVAs with fellow astronaut Jerry Ross, lasting over 12 hours.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle and Soyuz astronaut Rick Mastracchio!

Richard "Rick" Mastracchio, born February 11, 1960 in Waterbury, Connecticut, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights and one trip on a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station. 

His first flight into space was aboard Atlantis (STS-106) as mission specialist in September 2000 to the ISS.  He operated the Canadarm to move fellow astronauts Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko as they performed assembly work on the station.

His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-118) as mission specialist in August 2007 to the International Space Station.  During the mission he conducted three EVAs, totaling over 18 hours. 

Mastracchio's third flight was aboard Discovery (STS-131) as mission specialist in April 2010 to the ISS.  He conducted 3 EVAs with fellow astronaut Clayton Anderson totaling around 20 1/2 hours.

His fourth and final flight was aboard Soyuz TMA-11M which launched in November 2013 as part of Expeditions 38 and 39.  He performed three EVAs (must be his lucky number!) and returned to Earth in May 2014.

Soyuz TMA-22 launched 2011

Angry Birds in space! 

L-R: Daniel C. Burbank, Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoli Ivanishin

Mission patch

In the midst of a snow storm, Soyuz TMA-22 blasted off November 14, 2011 with two Russians and one American on their way to the International Space Station.  It was the first manned mission to the ISS since NASA had ended the space shuttle program in July with STS-135.

Soyuz TMA-22's crew consisted of Commander Anton Shkaplerov, Flight Engineer Anatoli Ivanishin and Flight Engineer Daniel Burbank (from Connecticut).

It is the first known flight in which an Angry Bird was a passenger.

Soyuz TMA-11M launched 2013

 

Wakata, Tyurin, Mastracchio

The Soyuz TMA-11M mission, launched November 7, 2013, was the 120th flight of the Soyuz spacecraft.  When Soyuz reached the International Space Station, the Olympic torch was passed for the first time in outer space!  It returned to Earth 5 days later on Soyuz TMA-09M.

TMA-11M's crew consisted of  Commander Mikhail Tyurin (Russian), Flight Engineer Richard Mastracchio (Connecticut) and Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata (Japanese).

Soyuz TMA-11M returned to Earth May 14, 2014.

Happy birthday, Daniel Burbank, Space Shuttle, Soyuz and ISS astronaut!

Daniel Christopher Burbank, born July 27, 1961 in Connecticut, is a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions (both on Atlantis) and a Soyuz mission (TMA-22).  Both space shuttle flights took him to the International Space Station, where he helped prepare the ISS for permanent inhabitants.

The Soyuz mission took him back to the ISS in September 2011 and he stayed until April 2012.