NAME:
Douglas H. Wheelock
Colonel, USA
NASA Astronaut
PERSONAL
DATA: Born May 5, 1960 in Binghamton, New York and considers Windsor, New York to be his hometown. Doug's parents, Olin and Margaret Wheelock,
reside in upstate New
York.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Windsor Central High
School, Windsor, New York, in 1978. Received a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied
Science and Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West
Point in 1983, and a
Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1992.
AWARDS: Meritorious Service Medal (1st Oak
Leaf Cluster); Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (2nd Oak Leaf
Cluster); National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service
Medal; Korea Defense Service Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; Overseas Service
Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Airborne Wings; Air Assault Wings; Master Aviator
Wings; Air Force Space and Missile Badge, Air Force Master Space Badge.
SPECIAL
HONORS: Distinguished
Graduate of the U.S. Army Flight Training Course (1984); 25th Infantry Division
Flight Safety Award (1986 and 1989); U.S. Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Men of
America (1989); Veterans of Foreign Wars Outstanding Spokesman for Freedom
(1990); Team Leader of the Georgia Tech Aerial Robotics Design Team (1992);
Gamble Award for excellence in experimental flight testing (1995); NASA Group
Achievement Awards: Global Positioning System (1997) and Russian Liaison
Support Team (2001); NASA Superior Accomplishment Award (2002, 2004 and 2005);
Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the Society of American
Military Engineers, the Association of the United States Army, the Army
Aviation Association of America, and the West Point Association of Graduates.
EXPERIENCE: Colonel Wheelock received his
commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Infantry from West Point in May 1983. He entered flight
school in 1984, graduated at the top of his flight class and was designated as
an Army Aviator in September 1984. Subsequently served in the Pacific Theater
as a combat aviation Section Leader, Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer,
Battalion Operations Officer, and Commander of an Air Cavalry Troop in the 9th
U.S. Cavalry. He was later assigned to the Aviation Directorate of Combat
Developments as an Advanced Weapons Research and Development Engineer. He
earned a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech in
1992, with research in the areas of hypersonic and high temperature gas dynamics,
flight stability and control, and automatic control and robotics. He was
selected as a member of Class 104 at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and upon
completion was assigned as an Experimental Test Pilot with the Army Aviation
Technical Test Center (ATTC). His flight testing was focused in the areas of
tactical reconnaissance and surveillance systems in the OH-58D(I), UH-60A/L,
RU-21H and C-23 aircraft. He served as Division Chief for testing of Army
Scout/Attack aircraft and weapons systems in support of tactical operations in
the Balkans. Colonel Wheelock's work as a test pilot culminated in his
assignment as Division Chief for fixed-wing testing of airborne signal and
imagery intelligence systems in support of the National Program Office for Intelligence
and Electronic Warfare. He is also a graduate of the Army Airborne and Air
Assault Courses, the Infantry and Aviation Officer Advanced Courses, The
Combined Arms Services Staff School, the Material Acquisition Management
Course, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Colonel Wheelock
is a dual-rated Master Army Aviator; and has logged over 2500 flight hours in
43 different rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. He is also an FAA-rated Commercial
Pilot in single and multi-engine land craft, rotorcraft, and gliders.
NASA
EXPERIENCE:
Colonel Wheelock reported for Astronaut Candidate Training in August 1998.
Following the initial two years of intensive Space Shuttle and Space Station
training, he was assigned to the Astronaut Office ISS Operations Branch as a
Russian Liaison, participating in the testing and integration of Russian
hardware and software products developed for the ISS. He worked extensively
with the Energia Aerospace Company in Moscow, Russia, developing and verifying
dual-language procedures for ISS crews. Colonel Wheelock led joint U.S./Russian
teams to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to oversee bench reviews, inventory, loading and launch of the first
four unmanned ISS resupply capsules.
In 2001,
Colonel Wheelock assumed duties as the Crew Support Astronaut for the ISS
Expedition 2 crew, which was on orbit for 147 days from March 2001 to August
2001, and for the ISS Expedition 4 crew, which was on orbit for 195 days (U.S. long-duration record) from December 2001 to June 2002.
He was the primary contact for all crew needs, coordination, planning and
interactions, and was the primary representative of the crews while they were
on orbit. In August 2002, Colonel Wheelock was assigned as a Spacecraft
Communicator (CAPCOM) in the Mission Control Center in Houston. In this role, he was the primary
communication link between crews on orbit and the ground support team in the Control Center. His work as a CAPCOM culminated in his assignment as the
lead CAPCOM for the ISS Expedition 8 mission, which was 194 days in duration.
In January
2005, Colonel Wheelock was assigned to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
(GCTC) in Star City, Russia, as NASA's Director of Operations–Russia. He was
responsible for supporting Russia-based training, logistic, and administrative
needs of NASA astronauts preparing for flight on the ISS. Colonel Wheelock was
the primary liaison between Star City and NASA operations in Houston, including medical, training,
science, contracting, public affairs, and administration departments. He was
also responsible for liaison duties between NASA and the Russian Space Agency,
as well as the Russian aerospace industry.
Colonel Wheelock
is qualified to fly aboard the Space Shuttle and the International Space
Station. He has completed qualification in the Extravehicular Activity (EVA)
Skills program, the Canadian Space Agency MSS Robotics Operator (MRO) course,
and qualification as a Cosmonaut Flight Engineer in the Russian Soyuz
spacecraft. In July 2004, Colonel Wheelock completed training in the NASA
Extreme Environments Mission Operations (NEEMO) program, during a 10-day
undersea mission aboard the National Undersea Research Center's Aquarius habitat.
Colonel Wheelock
is assigned to Space Shuttle mission STS-120, designated as flight 10A in the
ISS assembly sequence. The crew will deliver the Italian-built Node 2
connecting module to the ISS, as well as relocate the P-6 truss segment to
allow for future ISS expansion and increased power generation. Colonel Wheelock
will conduct both EVA and robotics operations during the mission's three
scheduled spacewalks. The STS-120 crew is scheduled to launch in the fall of
2007, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
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