James S. Voss

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James Voss
NASA astronaut
RankColonel, USA
Time in space
202d 5h 28m
SelectionNASA Group 12 (1987)
MissionsSTS-44
STS-53
STS-69
STS-101
Expedition 2 (STS-102 / STS-105)
Mission insignia

James Shelton Voss (born March 3, 1949) is a retired

spacewalk, the longest to date.[1]

He is a Scholar in Residence at the University of Colorado.

Early life and education

Voss was born on March 3, 1949, in Cordova, Alabama, and was raised by his grandparents in Opelika, Alabama. As a child he read a lot of science fiction with an emphasis on spaceflight.[2] While attending Opelika High School he participated in wrestling, track and field, and football.

After graduating high school, Voss attended

Aerospace Engineering in 1972 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Under the Army Graduate Fellowship Program, Voss was allowed to defer his entry into active duty in order to attend the University of Colorado. He graduated in 1974 with a Master of Science
degree in Aerospace Engineering Sciences.

Army career

After receiving his master's degree, Voss attended the

Armed Forces Staff College. Voss was subsequently assigned as a Flight Test Engineer/Research and Development Coordinator with the U.S. Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity. He participated in major flight test programs before being assigned to NASA. At NASA, Voss worked at the Johnson Space Center from November 1984 to June 1987. He worked as a Vehicle Integration Test Engineer supporting the STS-51-D, STS-51-F, STS-61-C, and STS-51-L missions. After the Challenger accident, Voss participated in the investigation. He was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in June 1987.[1]

Astronaut career

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in June 1987, Voss completed a one-year training and evaluation program in August 1988, which qualified him for assignment as a

CAPCOM, providing a communications interface between ground controllers and flight crews during simulations and Shuttle flights, and as the Astronaut Office Training Officer. After his third spaceflight, Voss spent two years training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. He served as a backup to Michael Foale on the STS-84/Mir 23/Mir 24/STS-86 mission and to Andrew Thomas for the STS-89/Mir 24/Mir 25/STS-91 mission. After his fifth flight, Voss served as the Deputy for Flight Operations in the Space Station Program Mission Integration and Operations Office.[3]

Spaceflight experience

STS-44

Voss was a mission specialist on board Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-44 from November 24 - December 1, 1991. The mission's primary objective was the deployment of a Defense Support Program satellite with an Inertial Upper Stage booster rocket. The crew also conducted two Military Man in Space experiments, three radiation monitoring experiments, and numerous medical tests to support longer duration spaceflight. The mission orbited the Earth 110 times before returning to Edwards Air Force Base in California.[4]

STS-53

The STS-53 crew. Voss is second from the right.

From December 2–9, 1992, Voss flew as a mission specialist on STS-53. The 171 orbit flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery deployed a classified Department of Defense payload. The satellite was the second launch of a Satellite Data System-2 military communications satellite.[5]

STS-69

During

spacewalk in order to test space suit modifications and to evaluate tools and procedures for future use on the International Space Station.[6]

STS-101

Voss was a mission specialist on board Space Shuttle Atlantis on

Jeff Williams conducted a six-hour spacewalk to finish installation of a Russian crane, replace a faulty antenna, and install handrails on the outside of the station.[7]

STS-102

Voss and his Expedition 2 crewmates launched as Mission Specialists March 8, 2001, on board Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-102 mission. The primary objectives of the flight were to rotate crew members and to resupply the station using the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Voss participated in one of the missions two spacewalks, along with Susan Helms, to prepare a Pressurized Mating Adapter for relocation. The spacewalk set a record of 8 hours 56 minutes duration.[8]

Expedition 2

Voss on board the International Space Station during Expedition 2

Voss,

Quest Airlock. He was one of the cinematographers and featured astronauts of the first 3D film shot in space, Space Station 3D
. The film was released in theaters in 2002 and on DVD in 2005.

STS-105

Voss returned home from his fifth spaceflight as a mission specialist on board the Space Shuttle Discovery on August 20, 2001 (STS-105). The mission saw a crew rotation, two spacewalks, and another flight of the MPLM.[9]

Post-NASA career

After retiring from NASA in 2003, Voss became Associate Dean of Engineering for External Affairs at Auburn University, assisting with student projects and development for the College and teaching a class in Aerospace Engineering on human spacecraft design. While at Auburn he led a team of twelve aerospace engineering seniors and one graduate research assistant in the development of a crew seat prototype for space startup Transformational Space Corporation Archived 2020-02-25 at the Wayback Machine, or t/Space. In 2005, Voss became VP of Space Exploration Systems for t/Space.In November 2007 Voss left t/Space to become the Vice President of Engineering at SpaceDev. After SpaceDev was acquired by Sierra Nevada Corporation he became Sierra Nevada Corporation's director of advanced programs and, then VP of Space Exploration Systems and program executive on the Dream Chaser spaceplane. In August 2009 Voss began teaching as a Scholar in Residence at the University of Colorado at Boulder[10] teaching a class on human spaceflight.

He retired from SNC in July 2013 and continues to teach human spaceflight classes at the University of Colorado. Voss is a member of the NASA Advisory Council and on the Board of Directors of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.

Awards and decorations

Army Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal
NASA Distinguished Service Medal
NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal
NASA Exceptional Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon

Voss has also been awarded:

  • University of Colorado Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award (2002)
  • Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame (2001)
  • Russian Spaceflight Medal of Achievement
  • American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Associate Fellow
  • Auburn University Distinguished Auburn Engineer
  • Most Outstanding Faculty Member, Aerospace Engineering Dept, Auburn University
  • University of Colorado Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award
  • National Aeronautic Association Gagarin Gold Medal
  • Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
.

  1. ^
    Houston, Texas: NASA. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Expedition 2 preflight interview". NASA. 2002-05-09. Archived from the original on 2001-04-17. Retrieved 2011-07-19.
  3. ^ "Spacefacts Astronaut Database". spacefacts.de. Retrieved 2011-07-19.
  4. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (18 February 2010). "STS-44". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  5. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (31 March 2010). "STS-53". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  6. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (1 April 2010). "STS-69". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  7. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (15 February 2010). "STS-101". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  8. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (15 February 2010). "STS-102". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  9. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (23 November 2007). "STS-105". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  10. ^ "James Voss". Archived from the original on 2010-05-29. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
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