NAME: Rick Mastracchio
NASA Astronaut
PERSONAL
DATA: Born
February 11, 1960 in Waterbury, Connecticut.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Crosby High School,
Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1978; received a bachelor of science degree in
electrical engineering/computer science from the University of Connecticut in
1982, a master of science of degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute in 1987, and a master of science degree in physical science
from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1991.
ORGANIZATIONS: Member, Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers.
EXPERIENCE: Rick Mastracchio worked for
Hamilton Standard in Connecticut as an engineer in the system design group from
1982 until 1987. During that time, he participated in the development of high
performance, strapped-down inertial measurement units and flight control
computers.
NASA
EXPERIENCE: In
1987, Mastracchio moved to Houston, Texas, to work for the Rockwell Shuttle
Operations Company at the Johnson Space Center. In 1990, he joined NASA as an engineer in the Flight Crew
Operations Directorate. His duties included the development of space shuttle flight software
requirements, the verification of space shuttle flight software in the Shuttle
Avionics Integration Laboratory, and the development of ascent and abort crew
procedures for the Astronaut Office.
From 1993
until 1996, he worked as an ascent/entry Guidance and Procedures Officer (GPO)
in Mission Control. An ascent/entry GPO has both pre-mission and real time
Space Shuttle support responsibilities in the areas of onboard guidance,
navigation, and targeting. During that time, he supported seventeen missions as
a flight controller.
In April
1996, Mastracchio was selected as an Astronaut Candidate and started training
in August 1996. Mastracchio has worked technical issues for the Astronaut
Office Computer Support Branch, for Space Station Operations, and the EVA
Branch. He next served as lead for cockpit avionics upgrades. Mastracchio flew
as a mission specialist on STS-106 and has logged over 283 hours in space.
Currently,
he is assigned to the STS-118
crew.
SPACE
FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-106
Atlantis (September 8-20, 2000). During the 12-day mission, the crew
successfully prepared the International Space
Station for the arrival of the first permanent crew. The five astronauts
and two cosmonauts delivered more than 6,600 pounds (2,993 kilograms) of
supplies and installed batteries, power converters, a toilet and a treadmill on
the Space Station. Two crewmembers performed a space walk in order to connect
power, data and communications cables to the newly arrived Zvezda Service Module and the Space
Station. Mastracchio was the ascent/entry flight engineer, the primary robotic
arm operator, and responsible for the transfer of items from the Space Shuttle
to the Space Station. STS-106 orbited the Earth 185 times, and covered 4.9
million miles (7.8 million kilometers) in 11 days, 19 hours, and 10
minutes.
Last
Updated: May 2006
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