Nasa Astronauts David Leestma And Andrew Thomas Retire

NASA has bid send-off to two experienced astronauts who hold tight retired after a combined 66 being of national support. David Leestma has retired after spare than 44 being of government support. A experienced of three spaceflights, Leestma served as a space shuttle to the point technological on STS-41G in 1984, STS-28 in 1989 and STS-45 in 1992. Formerly joining NASA, Leestma served in the U.S. Cobalt as a pilot and flew missions in the Mediterranean/North Atlantic areas what time assigned to the USS John F. Kennedy. He was choose by ballot to tie the astronaut entity in 1980. Once flying in space, Leestma in custody fused ritual and escort assignments, by show of Flight Range Operations. In his last divide, Leestma led the Routine Contact and Commercialization Hard work office at NASA's Johnson End Turning point in Houston.

"From the day we came as a group as astronaut equals, Dave stood out as a tough snooty, comrade, and stem colleague," alleged NASA Boss Charles Bolden, who flew among Leestma on shuttle Atlantis' STS-45 to the point. "He possessed doubtless fathomless experience of the space shuttle and all its systems and never ceased to astonish me among his modus operandi. We dream him the best."

Leestma holds a Single of Science consequence from the Mutual States Maritime School, Annapolis, Maryland, and a Master of Science consequence from the Maritime Postgraduate Focus in Monterey, California.

A retired Cobalt captain, Leestma has logged spare than 3,500 flight hours. He ends his NASA situation having logged spare than 23 time in space on three shuttle missions.

Andrew Thomas also has retired from NASA after spare than 22 being of support to the agency.

Thomas, who holds a doctorate in automatic engineering, was choose by ballot to tie NASA's astronaut entity in 1992. Formerly joining NASA, Thomas worked in hush-hush toil as a research scientist adult for tricky move aerodynamics, flight controls and propulsion systems.

"Andy is an surprising pollster, builder and astronaut who has more than it all in his 22 being as a NASA astronaut," alleged Janet Kavandi, show of Flight Range Operations at Johnson. "In his 177 time in space over four missions, Andy served as the freight head for a keen research to the point, lived aboard the Russian Mir space station, conducted a spacewalk wearing an Conglomerate End Boundary marker pool to the point and served a plain divide as a revelry associate on our basic Re-establish to Flight to the point, STS-114, go along with the dreadful Columbia chance. In the role of his last flight, Andy has helped shape NASA's end blunt his tireless work supporter the forward movement of end exploration technology. We force miss him ardently."

Thomas traveled to Mir in 1998 to defense in the transition to space station operations. He was the last American to live on Mir and performed unique life and corporeal sciences experiments wearing the course of his go to the bottom. His research aboard Mir provided the structure for the concern backing and company research on today's Conglomerate End Boundary marker.

Thomas in custody fused ritual and escort assignments wearing his NASA situation, by double above of the Astronaut Chamber.

Credit: NASA