Astronaut Application SENT! :)

Astronaut application official submitted!!! :-)

I think I would enjoy this view!

Ask a question to Astronaut Mike Fossum!

Want to ask a question to an astronaut in space? Now's your chance! If you have a question for the commander of the International Space Station, let SPACE.com know! This Wednesday (Oct. 19), SPACE.com will be speaking to NASA astronaut Mike Fossum, who is currently living and working aboard the station. He also happens to be my favorite Aggie!http://www.space.com/13303-space-station-astronauts-reader-questions.html

Astronaut Candidate Selection Timeline

Fall 2011 - Vacancy Announcement opens in USAJOBS

January 13, 2012 - Vacancy Announcement closes

March-July 2012 - Qualified Applications reviewed to determine Highly Qualified applicants. Qualifications Inquiry form sent to Supervisors/References and civilian applicants contacted by mail to obtain an FAA medical exam.

June-September 2012 - Highly Qualified applications reviewed to determine Interviewees

August-October 2012 - Interviewees brought to JSC for preliminary interview, medical evaluation, and orientation. Interviewees will be selected from the Highly Qualified group and contacted on a week-by-week basis.

October 2012 - Finalists determined

November 2012-January 2013 - Finalists brought to JSC for additional interview and complete medical evaluation

March 2013 - Astronaut Candidate Class of 2013 announced

June 2013 - Astronaut Candidate Class of 2013 reports to the Johnson Space Center

Reference: http://astronauts.nasa.gov/content/timeline.htm

This made me smile today......

NASA WILL ACCEPT APPLICATIONS IN THE FALL OF 2011 FOR AN ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE CLASS OF 2013. PLEASE CHECK THIS WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.

http://astronauts.nasa.gov/

Final Space Shuttle Mission - STS-135

It really hasn't hit me yet that this is the last space shuttle mission. I am sure that if I still worked out at Kennedy Space Center, I would most definitely have that eerie feeling as the co-workers you worked with for so long start taking different paths and the workload starts decreasing. You don't realize how much of the country is in the dark about spaceflight until you're not in states like Florida or Texas where shuttle missions and spaceflight are always in the news.

Space Shuttle Atlantis is the shuttle that I worked on the most as a lead for the Thermal Protection System. I worked with an amazing team, learned so much, and am grateful to have worked on what has always been a key part to the United States history, spaceflight. Hopefully we will establish a path forward to continue our spaceflight exploration efforts.

Even though there is a high chance of rain in the forecast for tomorrow (70%), NASA is pressing along with flight preparations. If all goes as planned, The last shuttle flight will take off tomorrow from Kennedy Space Center at 11:26am EDT.

Launch Countdown of STS-134

So far the countdown is going smoothly! Shuttle Endeavour is poised for blastoff at 8:56 a.m. EDT (1256 GMT) on a 16-day flight to deliver an exotic particle physics experiment and a hefty load of spare parts to the International Space Station.

Mission Status Center Updates

Endeavour's Final Mission: STS-134 Space Shuttle

Endeavour's final space shuttle mission is scheduled for next week, April 29, 2011. The mission will include four-spacewalks, deliver supplies, spare parts and a $2 billion particle physics detector (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer) to the International Space Station.