Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Donald Pettit!

Donald Pettit, born April 20, 1955 in Silverton, Oregon, is a veteran of three space flights.

His first flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-113) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in November 2002.  He participated in Expedition 6 while aboard the ISS, and conducted two EVAs during the mission.  He returned to Earth Soyuz TMA-1 in May 2003.

His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-126)  as mission specialist to the International Space Station in November 2008.  He helped operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm while aboard.

His third and final flight was aboard Soyuz TMA-03 to the International Space Station in December 2011.  He participated in Expeditions 30 and 31. 

Soyuz TMA-03M launched 2011

Soyuz TMA-03M crew (L-R): Donald Pettit, Oleg Kononenko, Andre Kuipers

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-03M, launched December 21, 2011, carried members of Expedition 30 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Oleg Kononenko (Roscosmos), Andre Kuipers (ESA), and Donald Pettit (NASA).  They returned to Earth July 2012, which marked the end of Expedition 31 and the beginning of Expedition 32.

Endeavour (STS-113) launched 2002

STS-113 (L-R): Paul S. Lockhart, Michael López-Alegría, John Herrington, James D. Wetherbee

Mission patch

Expedition 6 crew (L-R): Donald Pettit, Ken Bowersox and Nikolai Budarin

Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-113), launched November 23, 2002, was a mission to exchange Expeditions 5 and 6 on the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington.  The members of Expedition 6 being carried to the ISS were Kenneth Bowersox, Nikolai Budarin and Donald Pettit.  The returning members of Expedition 5 were Valery Korzun, Peggy Whitson, and Sergei Treshchov.

Soyuz TMA-1 launched 2002

Soyuz TMA-1 crew (L-R): Frank de Winne, Sergei Zalyotin and Yuri Lonchakov

Soyuz TMA-1 mission patch

Soyuz TMA-1 was launched October 30, 2002 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted  of Commander Sergei Zalyotin, Flight Engineer Frank De Winne (ESA) and Yury Lonchakov.  The crew returned on Soyuz TM-34, which landed November 10.

The landing crew consisted of Commander Nikolai Budarin, Kenneth Bowersox and Donald Pettit, who returned to Earth May 4, 2003.

Soyuz TMA-1 was in orbit when the Columbia disaster occurred, and that forced a change in how crews were changed out.  The Soyuz spacecraft became the sole method to exchange crews on the ISS until  the space shuttle program was reinstated in July 2005.

Endeavour (STS-126) launched 2008

L-R: Magnus, Bowen, Pettit, Ferguson, Boe, Kimbrough and Stefanyshyn-Piper 

STS-126 Mission Patch

Endeavour took off on its 22nd flight and the 124th mission (STS-126) of the space shuttle program November 14, 2008.  Her crew consisted of Commander Christopher Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe, Mission Specialist Donald Pettit, Mission Specialist Stephen Bowen, Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Mission Specialist Robert Kimbrough and Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus.

It was the 27th shuttle mission to the International Space Station to conduct repairs. It was the first time cow and pig embryos were carried into space by NASA to see how weightlessness affected embryonic growth.

Stefanyshyn-Piper and Bowen each conducted three EVAs, and Kimbrough performed two during the 16-day mission.

Stefanyshyn-Piper requested Hold On Tight by Electric Light Orchestra as her wake-up song.  Awesome!

Endeavour returned to Earth November 30.