NAME: Christopher J.
Ferguson (Captain, U.S. Navy)
NASA Astronaut
PERSONAL DATA: Born September 1, 1961 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Married to the former Sandra A. Cabot. They have
three children. Recreational interests include golf, woodworking, running, and
he plays drums for Max Q, a rock and roll band. His mother, Mary Ann Pietras
and stepfather, Norman Pietras, reside in Langhorn, Pennsylvania. Sandra's
mother, Trudy, resides in Norristown, PA.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Archbishop Ryan High
School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1979; received a bachelor of science degree
in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University, 1984 and a master of science
in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, 1991.
ORGANIZATIONS: Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
AWARDS: Navy Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy
Commendation Medal (3), Navy Achievement Medal, and various other service
awards/citations.
EXPERIENCE: Ferguson was commissioned from the
NROTC program after completion of a 5-year cooperative education curriculum at
Drexel University.
He was temporarily assigned to the Naval Test Pilot
School at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland prior to commencing
flight school in Pensacola, Florida in November 1984. Following flight training
in Florida and Texas, he received his Navy wings and was ordered to the F-14
replacement training squadron in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where, after a nine
month period of instruction, he joined the 'Red Rippers' of VF-11.
With VF-11 he made deployments to the North Atlantic,
Mediterranean and Indian Ocean on board the USS Forrestal (CV-59). While with
VF-11 he also attended the Navy Fighter Weapon School (TOPGUN). He was selected
for the Naval Postgraduate/Test Pilot School program in 1989 and graduated with
class 101.
From July 1992 through June 1994 he was assigned to
the Ordnance Branch of the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate at NAS Patuxent
River. There he served as the project officer for the F-14D weapon separation
program where he became the first to release numerous air-to-ground stores from
both the A and D model of the Tomcat.
In July 1994, he was chosen to instruct at the Naval
Test Pilot School which he did so until July 1995. After a brief retraining
period he joined the 'Checkmates' of VF-211 where he completed a deployment to
the Western Pacific/Persian Gulf aboard the Nimitz (CVN-68) in support
Operation Southern Watch and contingency operations off the coast of Taiwan. He
briefly served as the F-14 Class Desk Officer for the Commander Naval Air
Force, Atlantic Fleet prior to his selection to the space program.
NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in June 1998, Ferguson reported to
the Johnson Space Center in August 1998.
Following the completion of two years of training and
evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Spacecraft
Systems/Operations Branch involving the Shuttle Main Engine, External
Tank, Solid Rocket Boosters and Shuttle Software. Ferguson is assigned as Pilot
on STS-115.
The mission is targeted to launch in 2006.
Last updated: January 2006
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