Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Carl Walz!

Carl Walz, born September 6, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights. 

His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-51) as mission specialist in September 1993.  He and fellow astronaut Jim Newman performed an EVA to evaluate tools and procedures for a Hubble Telescope maintenance flight later in the year.

His second flight was aboard Columbia (STS-65) as mission specialist in July 1994.  The mission included the second flight of the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2).

Walz's third mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-79) as mission specialist in September 1996.  Shannon Lucid returned from Mir after her record-breaking stay.

His fourth and final mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-108) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in December 2001.  Walz was part of Expedition 4.  He returned to Earth in June 2002 aboard Endeavour (STS-111).

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Daniel Bursch!

Daniel Bursch, July 25, 1957 in Bristol, Pennsylvania, is a veteran of three space shuttle missions and one mission to the International Space Station.

His first flight was on Discovery (STS-51) as mission specialist in September 1993.  During the flight, he rode a stationary bike as part of a continuing study of using exercise to counteract the effects of weightlessness on the body.

His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-68) as mission specialist September-October 1994.  He partook in a radar experiment to search for environmental changes in Earth's land masses and oceans since the previous mission.

Bursch's third mission was on Endeavour (STS-77) in May 1996.  A Coca-Cola fountain was on board to see if carbonated beverages could be produced from the carbon dioxide and water stored separately.

His fourth trip into space was on Endeavour (STS-108), the fourth mission to the International Space Station, as a member of Expedition 4. Bursch performed 2 EVAs during his six-month stay. 

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Dominic Gorie!

Dominic Lee Pudwill Gorie, born May 2, 1957 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is a veteran of four space shuttle missions.  He was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1994 and flew as pilot on his first mission on Discovery (STS-91) in June 1998, the final space shuttle mission to Mir.

He piloted Endeavour (STS-99) in February 2000.  It was the last solo flight of Endeavour, since the remainder of its missions were dedicated to the International Space Station.

Gorie's third mission was as commander of Endeavour (STS-108) in December 2001.  The mission's main purpose was to deliver Expedition 4 to the ISS and bring back Expedition 3.

His final mission was as commander on Endeavour (STS-123) in March 2008.  The flight set a record for the longest shuttle mission to the ISS.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Kenneth Cockrell!

Kenneth Cockrell, born April 9, 1950 in Austin, Texas, is a veteran of five shuttle missions.  He was selected as an astronaut in January 1990.

His first flight was on Discovery (STS-56) as mission specialist in April 1993. 

His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-69) as pilot in September 1995.  During the mission, the Wake Shield Facility was deployed.

His third mission was on Columbia (STS-80) as commander November-December 1996.

He served as commander on his fourth mission on Atlantis (STS-98) to the International Space Station in February 2001, the first flight of the 21st century.

His final mission was on Endeavour (STS-111) in June 2002 to the ISS.  The mission carried the crew of Expedition 5 and returned with Expedition 4.

In 2006, he was reassigned to the Flight Crew Operations' Aircraft Operations Division at Ellington Field.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Yuri Onufriyenko!

Yuri Onufriyenko, born February 6, 1961 in Ukraine, is a veteran of three space flights (one Soyuz, two space shuttles), which included extended stays aboard Mir and the International Space Station.

His first trip into space was aboard Soyuz TM-23 in February 1996 to Mir as commander of the Mir EO-21 expedition.  He returned to Earth September 2.

His next mission was to the International Space Station aboard Endeavour (STS-108) December 2001 where he would serve as commander of Expedition 4.

He returned to Earth on Endeavour (STS-111) June 2002.