Shuttle astronaut bios

NAME: Michael P. Anderson, payload commander. <br><br>AGE-BIRTH DATE: 43. Born Dec. 25, 1959, in Plattsburgh, N.Y. <br><br>EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in physics/astronomy, University of Washington,

Saturday, February 1st 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NAME: Michael P. Anderson, payload commander.

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 43. Born Dec. 25, 1959, in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in physics/astronomy, University of Washington, 1981; master's in physics, Creighton University, 1990.

CAREER: Air Force lieutenant colonel. Selected by NASA in 1994. From 1992 to 1995, served as an instructor pilot and tactics officer in the 380th Air Refueling Wing at Plattsburgh, N.Y. In 1988 flew on shuttle mission that docked with Mir space station.

PERSONAL: Married.

___

NAME: Dr. David M. Brown, mission specialist.

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 46. Born April 16, 1956, in Arlington, Va.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in biology, College of William and Mary, 1978; doctorate in medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 1982.

CAREER: Navy captain, pilot and doctor. Served as director of medical services at Navy Branch Hospital in Adak, Alaska. Became naval aviator in Beeville, Texas, in 1990, went to test pilot school in 1995 as flight surgeon.

PERSONAL: Single.

___

NAME: Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist.

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 41. Born July 1, 1961, in Karnal, India.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering, Punjab Engineering College, India, 1982; master's in aerospace engineering, University of Texas, 1984; doctorate in aerospace engineering, University of Colorado, 1988.

CAREER: Began work at NASA Ames Research Center in 1988. Joined Overset Methods Inc., of Los Altos, Calif., as vice president and research scientist in 1993. Selected by NASA for astronaut program in 1994. Flew on shuttle mission in 1997 as mission specialist and prime robotic arm operator.

PERSONAL: Married.

___

NAME: Dr. Laurel Blair Salton Clark, mission specialist.

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 41. Born March 10, 1961, in Ames, Iowa.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1983; doctorate in medicine, UW-Madison, 1987.

CAREER: Navy commander. Worked as diving medical officer aboard submarines, and naval flight surgeon. Selected by NASA in April 1996.

FAMILY: Married, one child.

___

NAME: Rick D. Husband, shuttle commander.

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 45.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Texas Tech University, 1980; master's in mechanical engineering, California State University-Fresno, 1990.

CAREER: Air Force colonel. Became NASA astronaut in 1994. Served as pilot of space craft in 1999, a 10-day mission that involved the first docking with the international space station.

PERSONAL: Married, two children.

___

NAME: William C. McCool, pilot

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 41. Born Sept. 23, 1961, in San Diego.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in applied science, U.S. Naval Academy, 1983; master's degree in computer science, University of Maryland, 1985; master's in aeronautical engineering, the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, 1992.

CAREER: Navy commander. Worked as a test pilot in Flight Systems Department of Strike Aircraft Test Directorate at Patuxent River, Md. Selected by NASA in April 1996.

FAMILY: Married.

___

NAME: Ilan Ramon, payload specialist

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 48. Born June 20, 1954, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

EDUCATION: Graduated as a fighter pilot from Israel Air Force Flight School in 1974. Bachelor's degree in electronics and computer engineering from the University of Tel Aviv in 1987.

CAREER: In 1980, became one of first Israeli pilots training to fly F-16s. Promoted to colonel in 1994. From 1994-1998, assigned as head of operational requirement for weapon development and acquisition.

PERSONAL: Married, four children.