Ham Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male, Divorced, Two children. Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, USA. US Navy US Navy

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASA Group 17 - 1998. Active Entered space service: 4 June 1998. Number of Flights: 1.00. Total Time: 13.76 days.

NAME:Kenneth T. Ham (Lieutenant Commander, USN)

NASA Astronaut Candidate (Pilot)

PERSONAL DATA:

Born December 12, 1964 in Plainfield, New Jersey. Married to the former Linda J. Hautzinger of Salem, Wisconsin. They have two children, Ryan and Randy. His parents, Ed and Marion Ham, reside in Brunswick, Maine. Her parents, Dick and Dolores, reside in Salem, Wisconsin. Recreational interests include running, weight lifting, all sports, general aviation, snow and water skiing, and sky and scuba diving.

EDUCATION:

Arthur L. Johnson Regional High School, Clark, New Jersey, 1983.
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy, 1987.
M.S., Aeronautical Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School, 1996.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Society of Experimental Test Pilots, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Distinguished Graduate U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

EXPERIENCE:

Ken received his commission as an ensign in the United States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987. He was temporarily assigned to the NASA-JSC zero-g office at Ellington Field, Houston where he flew as a crew member on the NASA zero-g research aircraft. He was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1989 after completing flight training in the T-34C, T-2C, and TA-4J aircraft at NAS Corpus Christi and NAS Beeville, Texas. Ken reported to NAS Cecil Field, Florida for F/A-18 training and subsequent operational assignments with the Privateers of VFA-132 and the Gunslingers of VFA-105. He completed two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea including combat missions over North Iraq and Bosnia. During these tours, he served as an air wing strike leader, F/A-18 demonstration pilot, and night vision goggle instructor. Ken was selected for the Naval Postgraduate School/Test Pilot School cooperative program where he studied aeronautical engineering for 18 months in Monterey California followed by 12 months of test pilot training at NAS Patuxent River Maryland. He was selected as a team member of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Integrated Test Team as one of five Navy pilots responsible for developing a new fleet aircraft. This duty involved envelope expansion flight test in arrested landings, catapult assisted takeoffs, weapon separation, propulsion stability, performance, and general flying qualities. Ken was serving as the F/A-18E/F lead carrier suitability test pilot when he was selected for the astronaut program.

He has logged over 2,500 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft and has over 300 shipboard, and 300 land based arrested landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Selected by NASA in June 1998, he 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, Ken will receive technical assignments within the Astronaut Office before being assigned to a space flight.

• 31 May 2008 Flight: STS-124. Flight Up: STS-124. Flight Back: STS-124. Flight Time: 13.76 days.

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.

Later, Reisman deactivated the COL EDR (European Drawer Rack) and PCDF EU (Protein Crystallization Diagnostic Facility Electronic Unit), concluding with some close-up imaging using the COL's VCA1 (Video Camera Assembly 1).

In preparation for the subsequent VSPLESK installation (which required turning off the BITS2-12 Onboard Telemetry Measurement System), FE-1 Kononenko supported TsUP-Moscow in deactivating the Elektron O2 generator. As part of the standard deactivation process the Elektron was purged with N2 (nitrogen), controlled from laptop. (Elektron will be reactivated on 5/29.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 05/27/08.

(SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 05/29/08.

(Garrett collected three 450 mL samples (for postflight microbial analysis) and two 750 mL samples (for postflight chemical analysis) from each of three ports (SRV-K hot, SRV-K warm, SVO-ZV) for return on STS-124/1J. The small amounts of water used for flushing the equipment were later reclaimed from the flush bag.)

CDR Volkov serviced the Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System), starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The regen process will be terminated tonight at ~5:15pm EDT. Filter bed #1 was regenerated yesterday. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 05/30/08.

Flight Day 3 (FD3) of STS-124/1J. ISS crew work cycle today: wake 6:32am EDT; sleep 10:02pm.

STS-124/Discovery docked smoothly at the PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter-2) port at 2:03pm EDT, nine minutes behind timeline, in darkness (orbital sunset ~1:23pm), after successfully completing the RPM (R-Bar Pitch Maneuver) in daylight at ~1:08pm and arriving at +V-Bar (straight in front of ISS) at ~1:11pm. The station now hosts ten occupants again as Mission 1J is underway. (The combined crew is comprised of ISS CDR Volkov, FE-1 Oleg Kononenko, FE-2 Garrett Reisman, STS CDR Mark Kelly, PLT Ken Ham, MS1 Karen Nyberg, MS2 Ron Garan, MS3 Mike Fossum, MS4 Akihiko Hoshide (Japan), and MS5/FE-2-17 Greg Chamitoff who replaces Reisman as FE-2, as the latter returns on Discovery as MS-5.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 06/02/08.

ISS crew work cycle remains unchanged: wake 6:32am EDT; sleep 10:02pm.

Arigato Gozaimasu! Congratulations, JAXA! There is Hope in space! At ~5:09pm EDT, the JPM (Japanese Pressurized Module) of the JEM 'Kibo' laboratory complex was opened and ingressed by Aki Hoshide and Karen Nyberg for the first time, joined later by the rest of the crew who clearly enjoyed the voluminous super laboratory. (Kibo is permanently attached at the Node-2 (Harmony) portside hatch since last night.)

FE-1 Oleg Kononenko performed the periodic (currently daily) checkout/verification of IP-1 airflow sensors in the various RS (Russian Segment) hatchways, including the DC1-to-Soyuz tunnel, and the FGB-to-Node passageway. (This is especially important when the ventilation/circulation system has to cope with a larger crew on board, currently ten persons, and one of the two Russian SKV air conditioners off (SKV-1).)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 06/04/08.

ISS crew work cycle shifted another 30 min to the left: wake-up 6:02am EDT; sleep 9:02pm (Shuttle crew 30 min later: 9:32pm).

Crew activities aboard the ISS centered on three major areas: (1) Initial deployment of JEM RMS (Japanese Experiment Module Robotic Manipulator System) activation & checkout, (2) JLP (JEM Logistics Pressurized Module) post-relocation outfitting (Part 1), (3) Preparations for EVA-3 & EV1/EV2 Campout.

Before breakfast, FE-2 Reisman & FE-2-17 Chamitoff collected a 'wet' saliva sample (the third for Greg) for the biomed experiment INTEGRATED IMMUNE (Validating Procedures for Monitoring Crew member Immune Function). (IMMUNE protocol requires the collection to occur first thing post-sleep, before eating, drinking and brushing teeth, and all samples are stored at ambient temperature. Along with NUTRITION (Nutritional Status Assessment), INTEGRATED IMMUNE samples & analyzes participant's blood, urine, and saliva before, during and after flight for changes related to functions like bone metabolism, oxidative damage and immune function to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects. The saliva is collected in two forms, dry and liquid. The dry samples are collected at intervals during the collection day using a specialized book that contains filter paper. The liquid saliva collections require that the crewmember soak a piece of cotton inside their mouth and place it in a salivette bag; there are four of the liquid collections during docked operations.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 06/07/08.

Underway: Week 8 of Increment 17.

ISS crew work cycle shifted another 30 min. to the left: wake-up 5:02am EDT; sleep 8:02pm (Shuttle crew 30 min later: 8:32pm).

Crew activities aboard the ISS addressed five major areas: (1) IWIS Dedicated Thruster Firing, (2) JEM RMS Final Deployment, (3) R&R of two A/L BCMs (Airlock Battery Charger Modules), (4) JLP/JPM vestibule final outfitting plus JLP ingress, (5) crew media conference & photo.

For the biomed experiment INTEGRATED IMMUNE (Validating Procedures for Monitoring Crew member Immune Function), FE-2 Reisman collected a 'wet' saliva sample before breakfast while FE-2-17 Chamitoff collected his first dry saliva samples, five times during the day. (IMMUNE protocol requires the collection to occur first thing post-sleep, before eating, drinking and brushing teeth, and all samples are stored at ambient temperature. Along with NUTRITION (Nutritional Status Assessment), INTEGRATED IMMUNE samples & analyzes participant's blood, urine, and saliva before, during and after flight for changes related to functions like bone metabolism, oxidative damage and immune function to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects. The saliva is collected in two forms, dry and liquid. The dry samples are collected at intervals during the collection day using a specialized book that contains filter paper. The liquid saliva collections require that the crewmember soak a piece of cotton inside their mouth and place it in a salivette bag; there are four of the liquid collections during docked operations.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 06/09/08.

JAXA/Japan to IMMT: 'Arigato Gozaimasu! This flight was 100% successful for the Kibo elements. Thank you to everyone involved for the excellent support in preparation and execution of this mission!'

ISS crew work cycle (now including Greg Chamitoff) shifted another 30 min. to the left: wake-up 4:32am EDT; sleep 7:32pm (Shuttle crew 30 min later: 8:02pm, now including Garrett Reisman).

Crew activities aboard the ISS stack addressed five major areas: (1) Waste water dump from the Orbiter, (2) installation of JEM RMS Backup drive system, (3) PAO event, (4) Crew Sayonara, (5) hatches closing & ODS leak check.

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 06/10/08.