NAME: Alan G.
Poindexter (Commander, U.S. Navy)
NASA Astronaut
PERSONAL
DATA: Born
November 5, 1961 in Pasadena, California. Considers Rockville, Maryland, to be
his hometown. Married to the former Lisa A. Pfeiffer of Gulf Breeze, Florida.
They have two children. Recreational interests include motorcycling, running,
weight lifting, water skiing, boating, hunting, and fishing.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Coronado High
School, Coronado, California in 1979. Graduated with highest honors from
Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor of aerospace engineering degree
in 1986 and a master of science in aeronautical engineering from the Naval
Postgraduate School in 1995.
ORGANIZATIONS: Society of Experimental Test Pilots
AWARDS: NASA Aviation Safety Award, Navy
and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V, Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medal, various other service awards.
SPECIAL
HONORS: Naval
Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division Test Pilot of the Year 1996; Top Ten
Carrier Aviator, Carrier Airwing Nine.
EXPERIENCE: Poindexter was commissioned
following graduation from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1986. After a
short tour of duty at the Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel Facility, Naval Surface
Weapons Center, White Oak, Maryland, Poindexter reported for flight training in
Pensacola, Florida.
He was
designated a Naval Aviator in 1988 and reported to Fighter Squadron 124, Naval
Air Station Miramar, California, for transition to the F-14 Tomcat. Following
his initial training, Poindexter was assigned to Fighter Squadron 211, also at
Miramar, and made two deployments to the Arabian Gulf during Operations Desert
Storm and Southern Watch. During his second deployment in 1993, he was selected
to attend the Naval Postgraduate School/U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
Cooperative Program. Following graduation in December 1995, Poindexter was
assigned as a Test Pilot and Project Officer at the Naval Strike Aircraft Test
Squadron (NSATS), Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland.
While at
NSATS, Poindexter was assigned as the lead test pilot for the F-14 Digital
Flight Control System where he logged the first carrier landing and catapult
launch of an F-14 with the upgraded flight controls. He also flew numerous high
angle of attack/departure tests, weapons separation tests and carrier
suitability trials. Following his tour at Patuxent River, Poindexter reported
to Fighter Squadron 32, NAS Oceana, Virginia, where he was serving as a
department head when he was selected for Astronaut training.
Poindexter
has more than 3,500 hours in over 30 aircraft types and has logged over 450
carrier landings.
NASA
EXPERIENCE:
Selected by NASA in June 1998, he reported for training in August 1998.
Initially Poindexter served in the Astronaut Office Shuttle Operations Branch
performing duties as the lead support astronaut at Kennedy Space Center.
Poindexter is assigned as pilot on the STS-122
mission that will deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus Laboratory to the International
Space Station.
Last Updated:
July 2006
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