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Tracy Ellen Caldwell American Mission Specialist Astronaut. Born 14 August 1969. Chemist. Personal: Female, Single. Born in Arcadia, California, USA. Astronaut Career Astronaut Group: NASA Group 17 - 1998. Active Entered space service: 4 June 1998. Number of Flights: 1.00. Total Time: 12.75 days.
NASA Official Biography
- NAME: Tracy E. Caldwell (Ph.D.)
- NASA Astronaut Candidate (Mission Specialist)
- PERSONAL DATA:
- Born August 14, 1969 in Arcadia, California. Recreational interests include running, weight training, hiking, softball, basketball, and auto repair/maintenance. She also enjoys spending time with family and her dog Alyx. As an undergraduate, she competed in intercollegiate athletics on CSUF's track team as both a sprinter and long jumper. Her parents, James H. and Mary Ellen Caldwell, reside in Cherry Valley, California. Her sister, Stacy H. Caldwell-Tockerman, and nephew, James F. Tockerman, reside in Beaumont, California.
- EDUCATION:
- Graduated from Beaumont High School, Beaumont, California in 1987; received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the California State University at Fullerton in 1993 and a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of California at Davis in 1997.
- ORGANIZATIONS:
- Sigma Xi Research Society, American Chemical Society, American Vacuum Society, American Institute of Physics, American Association of University Women.
- SPECIAL HONORS:
- Camille and Henry Dreyfus Postdoctoral Fellowship in Environmental Science (1997). National Research Council Associateship Award, NIST (1997, declined). Outstanding Doctoral Student Award in Chemistry from the University of California Davis (1997). American Vacuum Society - Nellie Yeoh Whetten Award (1996). American Vacuum Society Graduate Research Award (1996). Pro Femina Research Consortium Graduate Research Award (1996). Pro Femina Research Consortium Graduate Award for Scientific Travel (1996). University of California, Davis Graduate Research Award (1996). University of California, Davis Graduate Student Award for Scientific Travel (1994). Patricia Roberts Harris Graduate Fellowship in Chemistry (1993-1997). Lyle Wallace Award for Service to the Department of Chemistry, California State University Fullerton (1993). National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Award, (1992). Council of Building & Construction Trades Scholarship (1991 and 1992). Parents' Association Scholarship (1990 and 1991). Big West Scholar Athlete (1989-1991).
- EXPERIENCE:
- As an undergraduate researcher at the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), Dr. Caldwell designed, constructed and implemented electronics and hardware associated with a laser-ionization, time-of-flight mass spectrometer for studying atmospherically-relevant gas-phase chemistry. Also at CSUF, she worked for the Research and Instructional Safety Office as a lab assistant performing environmental monitoring of laboratories using hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials, as well as calibrating survey instruments and helping to process chemical and radioactive waste. During that time (and for many years prior) she also worked as an electrician/inside wireman for her father's electrical contracting company doing commercial and light industrial type construction. At the University of California, Davis, Dr. Caldwell taught general chemistry laboratory and began her graduate research. Her dissertation work focused on investigating molecular-level surface reactivity and kinetics of metal surfaces using electron spectroscopy, laser desorption, and Fourier transform mass spectrometry techniques. She also designed and built peripheral components for a variable temperature, ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy system. In 1997, Dr. Caldwell received the Camille and Henry Drefus Postdoctoral Fellowship in Environmental Science to study atmospheric chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. There she investigated reactivity and kinetics of atmospherically relevant systems using atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopies. In addition, she developed methods of chemical ionization for spectral interpretation of trace compounds. Dr. Caldwell has published and presented her work in numerous papers at technical conferences and in scientific journals.
Dr. Caldwell is a private pilot and also fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) as well as conversational in Russian and Spanish.
- NASA EXPERIENCE:
- Selected by NASA in June 1998, she reported for training in August 1998. Astronaut Candidate Training includes orientation briefings and tours, numerous scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training and ground school to prepare for T-38 flight training, as well as learning water and wilderness survival techniques. Following a period of training and evaluation, she will receive technical assignments within the Astronaut Office before being assigned to a space flight.
NOVEMBER 1998
Caldwell Spaceflight Log - 8 August 2007 Flight: STS-118. Flight Up: STS-118. Flight Back: STS-118. Flight Time: 12.75 days.
Caldwell Chronology 19 July 1985 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 17 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.
Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. Of 25 Americans, eight pilots and 17 mission specialists.
8 August 2007 - STS-118. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: ISS EO-15, STS-118, ISS EO-15-1. Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched on Aug 8 at 2236 UTC. The STS-118 stack comprised Orbiter OV-105, solid rockets RSRM-97 and external tank ET-117. The solid boosters separated 2 min after launch. At 2245 UTC the orbiter main engines cut off and ET-117 separated into an approximately 57 x 225 km x 51.6 deg orbit. The OMS-2 burn at 2313 UTC put Endeavour in a higher 229 x 317 km orbit as the ET fell back to reentry around 2346 UTC. Crew of STS-118 are Scott Kelly, Charles Hobaugh, Tracy Caldwell, Rick Mastracchio, Dafydd Williams, Barbara Morgan, and Al Drew.
During ascent a large chunk of external tank foam was observed to hit the underside of the orbiter. Examination in orbit using the robotic arm showed a hole in a heat shield tile that went down to the felt mounting pad. There was considerable press discussion of the danger, but as the mission drew to a close NASA decided that no lasting damage would be incurred during reentry to the orbiter structure, and called off a potential extra spacewalk to repair the tile.
Endeavour docked at the PMA-2 adapter on the Station at 18:02 GMT on 10 August; the hatches were opened at 20:04.
The 14036 kg of cargo broke down as follows:
- Bay 1-2: Orbiter Docking System, 1800 kg
- Bay 1-2: EMU 3010, 130 kg
- Bay 1-2: EMU 3017, 130 kg
- Bay 3: Tunnel Adapter, 112 kg
- Bay 5-7: Spacehab-SM Single Module, 5480 kg: Loaded with research experimental equipment and consumables to be left at the station.
- Bay 8P: SPDU: Station Power Distribution Unit, will be left at the ISS and allow the Orbiter to draw electricity from the station while docked, allowing longer missions
- Bay 8-10: S5 Truss, 1584 kg: a short spacer truss installed at the end of the ISS S4 truss during the mission, to eliminate interference with the S6 solar panels when they would be added later
- Bay 11-12: ESP-3, 3400 kg: External Stowage Platform 3, left at the ISS, provided external storage for spare parts, and was delivered with a spare nitrogen tank for the truss cooling system, a spare truss battery charge/discharge unit (BCDU), a spare Canadarm-2 robot arm pitch roll joint, and a replacement Control Moment Gyro for the Z1 truss
- Bay 11-12: CMG-3R ORU, 540 kg
- Sill: OBSS, 450 kg
- Sill: RMS 201, 410 kg
The shuttle's RMS 201 robotic arm moved the S5 truss from the payload bay at 20:50 on 10 August. It was handed over to the station's Canadarm-2 robotic arm, which then attached it to the S4 truss at 17:30 on 11 August, with astronauts assisting on the first of four spacewalks of the mission. On 14 August, ESP-3 was unberthed from Endeavour's payload bay and attached to the P3 truss on the Station, where its spare parts can be reached if needed.
Following successful completion of all cargo delivery and station assembly tasks, the crew returned to Endeavour on 18 August, undocking the next day at 11:56 GMT. Landing was moved up a day ahead of schedule because of concern a hurricane might force evacuation of the Houston Control Center on the originally-planned return date. Endeavour began its deorbit burn at 15:25 GMT on August 21 and lowered its orbit from 336 x 347 km to -28 x 342 km. It landed on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center at 16:32 GMT. Landing mass was 100,878 kg.
Bibliography and Further Reading
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