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William (Bill) Anthony Oefelein American Pilot Astronaut. Born 29 March 1965. Personal: Male, Married, Two children. Born in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, USA. US Navy US Navy Astronaut Career Astronaut Group: NASA Group 17 - 1998. Inactive Entered space service: 4 June 1998. Left space service: 1 June 2007. Number of Flights: 1.00. Total Time: 12.86 days. Official NASA Biography
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NAME: William A. Oefelein (Lieutenant, USN)
- NASA Astronaut Candidate (Pilot)
- PERSONAL DATA:
- Born March 29, 1965 in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, but considers Anchorage, Alaska to be his hometown. Married to the former Michaella Davis of Anchorage, Alaska. They have two children. Recreational interests include weight lifting, wake boarding, snow skiing, bicycling, fishing, backcountry hiking, and playing the guitar. His parents, Randall W. and Billye M. Oefelein, reside in Anchorage, Alaska. Her parents, Pat and Charlene Davis, reside in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
- EDUCATION:
- West Anchorage High School, Anchorage, Alaska, 1983.
B.S., Electrical Engineering, Oregon State University, 1988.
M.S., Aviation Systems, University of Tennessee Space Institute, 1998.
- ORGANIZATIONS:
- Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Seaplane Pilots Association.
- SPECIAL HONORS:
- High Scholarship Graduate Oregon State University, McClarran Award for Strike/Fighter competition. Awarded the Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and various other service awards.
- EXPERIENCE:
- Oefelein received his commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy from Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida in 1988. He entered flight training in Texas in 1989 and was designated a Naval Aviator in September 1990. He then reported to Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 101 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California for initial F/A-18 training. Upon completion of training, he was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 146 at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California where he made overseas deployments aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz to the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. While assigned to VFA-146, he attended the US Navy Fighter Weapons School, TOPGUN, and was assigned as the Squadron Air-to-Air Weapons and Tactics Officer. Oefelein was selected for the United States Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland and began the course in January of 1995. After graduation in December 1995, he was assigned to Strike Aircraft Test Squadron as an F/A-18 Project Officer and Test Pilot. In February 1997, he went back to the United States Naval Test Pilot School as an Instructor flying the F/A-18, T-2, and U-6 aircraft. In February 1998, he transferred to Carrier Air Wing 8, Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia where he was assigned duties as the Strike Operations Officer when he was selected for the astronaut program.
Oefelein has logged over 2000 hours in more than 50 aircraft and has over 200 carrier 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, he will receive technical assignments within the Astronaut Office before being assigned to a space flight.
OCTOBER 1998 Oefelein Spaceflight Log - 10 December 2006 Flight: STS-116. Flight Up: STS-116. Flight Back: STS-116. Flight Time: 12.86 days.
Oefelein 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. 24 July 2003 - STS-116 (cancelled). Assignment: Proposed Prime Crew. Flight: STS-116A. Flight delayed after the Columbia disaster. STS-116 was to have flown ISS Assembly mission ISS-12A.1. It would have delivered the third left-side truss segment (ITS P5), logistics and supplies aboard a Spacehab single cargo module and carried out a crew rotation. 9 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 01. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. The Space Shuttle Discovery rocketed into a dark Florida sky at 7:47 p.m. CST today, the third shuttle launch in five months, but the first night launch in more than four years. Discovery's seven-member crew will link up with the International Space Station ...more... 10 December 2006 - STS-116. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-116, ISS EO-14, ISS Astrolab. The mission used solid rocket booster pair RSRM-95 and external tank ET-123. At SSME burnout Discovery was in a 58 km x 220 km x 51.6 deg preliminary burn. The OMS-2 burn at 02:25 GMT placed the shuttle in a stable 225 x 250 km orbit from which rendezvous maneuvers began. Discovery docked
with the ISS at 22:12 GMT on December 11. In the most demanding ISS assembly mission ever, the crew would require an additional spacewalk to complete installation of the P5 truss, retraction of the recalcitrant port P6 solar array wing, and activation of the truss electrical and cooling system. Sunita Williams rode the shuttle to the station, and remained behind with the EO-14 crew; ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, already aboard the station, was returned to earth. Due to weather problems a landing at White Sands was considered; but in the end Discovery landed safely at Kennedy Space Center, after which it was to enter a year-long overhaul cycle. 10 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 03. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. The Space Shuttle Discovery crew spent much of its first full day in space using the shuttle’s robotic arm and an extension boom-mounted sensor system to inspect heat shielding on Discovery's wing leading edges and nose. The data will be analyzed by engineers to ensure the spacecraft's heat shield is ...more... 11 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 05. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Astronauts on the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station were united today, and the joint crew immediately began the complex work associated with installing a new truss section and rewiring the station’s power grid. Discovery’s crew entered the station complex at 5:54 p.m. CST as Expedition 14 Commander ...more... 11 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 04. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. The Space Shuttle Discovery continues its pursuit of the International Space Station, a chase that should culminate in the docking of the two spacecraft at 4:05 p.m. CST today. Discovery’s crew, Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill Oefelein and Mission Specialists ...more... 12 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 06. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. The first spacewalk by Discovery's crew members, an excursion that will install a new, two-ton segment on the port side of the International Space Station's girder-like truss, will highlight today's work on mission STS-116. The six-hour, 10-minute excursion by astronauts Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang ...more... 13 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 08. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Retracting a solar array wing that has been extended in space for six years will highlight the activities aboard the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle Discovery today. Furling of the wing, the left wing of the station's P6 solar arrays that were launched ...more... 15 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 13. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. The crews of Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station tried again to refold an accordion-like solar array with help from engineers and flight controllers on the ground, but none of the techniques succeeded in clearing the jam. The final attempt of the day came at 8:04 p.m. CST when Expedition 14 Flight Engineer ...more... 15 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 12. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. With half the International Space Station’s electrical system rewired, the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery gets half a day off today before they finish the job during a third spacewalk set for Saturday. Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang rewired channels 2 and 3 ...more... 16 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 14. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. The third spacewalk of Discovery’s mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to begin at 1:37 p.m. CST to complete the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory’s power system. Discovery Mission Specialist Bob Curbeam and station Flight Engineer Sunita Williams ...more... 17 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 16. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Astronauts will spend much of today getting ready for a fourth spacewalk during Discovery’s mission to the International Space Station. On Saturday, Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam and Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita ...more... 17 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 17. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116. Flight controllers today put the finishing touches on plans for the fourth spacewalk recently added to the mission. On board the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station astronauts finished transferring the bulk of supplies between the two spacecraft.Monday’s spacewalk is set to begin at 1:12 p.m. as veteran spacewalkers Robert Curbeam ...more... 18 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 19. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116. Space Shuttle Discovery Astronauts Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang guided the port overhead solar array wing neatly inside its blanket box during a 6-hour, 38-minute spacewalk. The coordinated effort with flight controllers finished the retraction begun on ...more... 18 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 18. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116. Discovery and International Space Station crew members will conduct their fourth spacewalk of the week today, an excursion aimed at freeing a snagged, partially retracted station solar array so it will fully fold properly. Astronaut Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang, a European Space Agency astronaut ...more... 19 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 20. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Space Shuttle Discovery astronauts will leave the orbiting laboratory today after four successful spacewalks, delivery and installation of a new segment of the International Space Station’s main truss and reconfiguring the station’s power system. During their eight days docked to the station, the shuttle crew also dropped off ...more... 19 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 21. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Crews aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station bid one another farewell at 4:10 p.m. CST today, wrapping up eight days of docked operations. Staying behind on the newly rewired space station were Expedition 14 Flight Engineer ...more... 20 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 22. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Discovery crew members will make a final check of the shuttle’s heat shields today, using a sensor-equipped 50-foot extension of the shuttle’s robotic arm. After the inspection, Discovery will deploy two small scientific satellites. A third ...more... 20 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 23. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Inspection of Discovery’s heat shield was conducted today as the seven crewmembers began the task of preparing their ship for their high-speed return to Earth on Friday. One hour after removing the sensor-equipped 50-foot Orbiter Boom Sensor System from ...more... 21 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 24. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Discovery’s astronauts will spend today preparing to return to Earth. They will test flight control surfaces, steering jets and other entry and landing systems while they stow equipment in Discovery’s cabin. The crew, Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill Oefelein, and mission specialists ...more... 21 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 25. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1. Discovery’s astronauts completed preparations for a planned return to Earth on Friday and received word from Mission Control that their final inspection showed the shuttle’s heat shield is in good shape. STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill Oefelein, and Flight Engineer Bob Curbeam ...more... 22 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 27. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS Astrolab. The crew of Space Shuttle Discovery made it home in time for Christmas, gliding to a perfect landing as the sun set over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery touched down on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at 4:32 p.m. ...more... 22 December 2006 - STS-116 MCC Status Report 26. Flight: ISS EO-14, STS-116, ISS EO-14-1, ISS Astrolab. Discovery’s wakeup call said it all. The song was "Home for the Holidays," sung by Perry Como for the crew, requested by the Mission Control Center. That 6:18 a.m. CST call began a day that the crew and their support teams on the ...more... Bibliography and Further Reading
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