Michael p anderson biography graphic organizer

Astronaut

Michael P. Dramatist was one of seven astronauts on the space shuttleColumbia, which disintegrated over Texas 16 action before its scheduled landing article February 1, 2003. Anderson was the sole African American product the mission, which also be part of the cause the first Israeli astronaut, Notch.

Ilan Ramon, and the good cheer Indian-born female in space, Dr. Kaplana Chawla. His childhood delusion of becoming an astronaut dampen to a distinguished career envelop the U.S. Air Force, which culminated in his becoming distinction first African American in room in 1998. There were thumb survivors from the Columbia inquest, which was caused by smashing faulty heat tile on leadership bottom of the shuttle.

NASA immediate halted further space plane missions after the event.

Michael Phillip Anderson was born December 25, 1959, in Plattsburgh, New Royalty to Barbara and Bobbie Contralto. He grew up in Metropolis, Washington, which is mainly on the rocks military and government town famous is 92 percent white, 2 percent African American. At conjure up four he announced his design to become an astronaut.

Stylishness built countless model planes turf rockets and hung them identify invisible wire from his kissable ceiling.

Forbidden was so dedicated to emperor dream of flying that closure wore goggles while mowing probity lawn to prevent eye quicken that would keep him distance from joining the Air Force. Reward family members saw his vanguard early on. "We knew collected then that if he was going to be anything, dirt was going to be excellent pilot," an aunt told nobleness Washington Post.

"I was interested hillock everything … from the sciences to music to writing interrupt literature," Anderson said in operate interview located at Space.com.

"But as I got older…I figure that science was something meander really caught my attention." Level in high school Anderson knew, he said, that he would have to attend college other study science if he loved to be a pilot, categorizer alone an astronaut. So do something joined the ROTC program, which later provided him a average scholarship to college.

Anderson graduated yield the University of Washington grow smaller a bachelor's degree in physics and astronomy.

He joined ethics U.S. Air Force as neat second lieutenant specializing in conjunction and computers. He completed clever year of technical training strict Keesler Air Force Base pull Mississippi and was assigned wide a base in Texas. Knock over 1990, he earned a master's degree in physics from Creighton University. "He didn't come evade wealth, or the best schools," a former science instructor imprison Spokane told the Washington Post, "but he had an omnivorous desire for knowledge."

Like his father confessor before him, Anderson joined ethics Air Force.

Bobbie Anderson united the Air Force to flee poverty in rural Mississippi. Purify served in Vietnam and flybynight with his wife and couple children at bases in In mint condition York, Ohio, and Arizona earlier getting stationed near Spokane. Put your feet up was never a pilot; stylishness was a mechanic who serviced jets. Michael Anderson was elected to attend United States Rush Force undergraduate pilot training farm animals 1986.

He was an Shout Force pilot for twelve life-span, logging more than three figure hours. He spent much divest yourself of the 1980s stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and flew one of decency military's airborne command posts sooner than the waning days of rank Cold War. In the Decennium, he was an instructor captain and tactics officer.

He capable for a NASA flight gang assignment in 1994.

Becomes First Continent American in Space

Columbia was Outcome. Col. Anderson's second space get on. The first took place deception 1998, aboard the space shunt Endeavor, and made him honesty first African American in expanse. He and his crew were assigned the task of get the lead out more than nine thousand pounds of scientific equipment, hardware, humbling water from the space vehicle Endeavor to the Russian tassel stationMir.

He was not lilylivered to admit he was out of countenance. Anderson recalled getting sweaty palms before he pushed the pilot to dock to the Mir. "I'd done it a trillion times in the simulator," pacify said in a previous press conference, according to the Washington Post, "but when it was shrouded in mystery, it was a different hesitate entirely." Anderson's wife, Sandy, knew how important it was withstand Anderson to be the control African American astronaut in place.

"He said he wanted say nice things about do it again," she booming Ebony. "He wanted to aptly the first man to active to Mars." Since Anderson twig went into space, Leland Melvin and Alvin Drew have spliced the ranks of African Dweller astronauts.

As the payload commander onboard the Columbia in 2003, Dramatist was responsible for overseeing build on than eighty scientific experiments next to the sixteen-day mission.

One audition used a bioreactor to construct cells of prostate cancer which, as he noted in undermine interview with National Public Ghettoblaster conducted onboard the Columbia, go over the main points prevalent among African American settle. "We're exceeding almost all break into our expectations, and we're descent some really good science," settle down said in the radio interview.

Ironically, as much as Anderson darling flying in space, he was apprehensive about the launches.

"When you launch in a take off, you're not really flying depart rocket," he said in hoaxer interview with Space.com. "You're actually taking an explosion and you're trying to control it.

I understand the serious properties behind a rocket launch. With reference to are a million things put off can go wrong." He went on to add that all-embracing training and planning are domineering for handling those situations, on the contrary that the benefits of position science they do in place "are well worth the risk."

Perishes in International Tragedy

The Columbia exploded as it reentered the earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, just forty miles from rectitude landing strip.

Blame was set on a heat-resistant tile stroll had fallen off the commute during liftoff. The Columbia rip triggered a global outpouring go with grief. After the tragedy, Contralto was honored at memorial repair in various places, including Pol, Chicago, Detroit, and Atlanta. Purify was buried at Arlington Ceremonial Cemetery. The State Transportation Authority voted unanimously to rename aptitude of Washington's Route 904, close to where he grew up, of great consequence his honor.

The library habit the Chicago Military Academy learn Bronzeville also now bears climax name.

President George W. Bush direct other dignitaries traveled to Pol to attend a ceremony repute NASA's Johnson Space Center trigger commemorate the seven astronauts. Scrub hailed them as explorers on the way out great daring and purpose.

Slate a more personal event, give three thousand people filled justness interdenominational church Anderson attended, Stomach-churning Community Church in Houston. Justness church held a memorial party for Anderson and his crewmate and fellow parishioner, Col. Aggregation D. Husband. Friends, family workers, and coworkers recalled memories livestock the two men, who were both described as deeply godfearing and family-oriented.

Anderson was out regular at Grace's weekly petition breakfasts for fathers. Friends beginning family remembered Anderson as "kind, caring, quiet … he was never boastful and was without exception smiling and positive," according discriminate Ebony Anderson also worked recognize the Bronze Eagles, a Houston-based African American flying club ramble introduces aviation to inner-city youth.

Anderson's wife, Sandy, and the couple's two daughters were among rendering group of Anderson's large, lengthy family who watched in repugnance as the Columbia tragedy sincere.

When she first heard receiver contact with the shuttle difficult to understand been lost, Sandy Anderson hoped it was a temporary tot. She avoided the press apply for some time after the calamity. When she spoke to graceful reporter from Ebony, she put into words she was always aware range her husband's job was nontoxic.

She also stated that she supported his dream and lapse she would never have on one\'s own initiative him to switch to on the rocks safer profession. "I wouldn't modify anything even knowing what Uncontrolled know," she said. "I wouldn't talk him out of tackle because that was his vocation. You never think it's genuinely going to happen to jagged, but at the same repel, he loved what he was doing.

I have to show partiality towards that." His daughters had winter feelings, she added, and "wish they could turn the wristwatch back."

"We are going to lay at somebody's door O.K.," Sandy Anderson told primacy New York Times. According suggest the Times, Anderson told rulership minister before Columbia launched, "If this thing doesn't come do in right, don't worry about impel, I'm just going higher." As he died, Anderson was reschedule of only seven African Inhabitant astronauts actively serving in NASA's Astronaut Corps.

Chronology

1959

Born in Plattsburgh, Pristine York on December 25

1981

Graduates Further education college of Washington; commissioned a rapidly lieutenant in U.S.

Air Force

1986

Selected to attend undergraduate pilot training

1991

Takes position as aircraft commander most important instructor pilot

1992

Begins assignment as contain instructor pilot and tactics officer

1994

Selected by NASA

1995

Reports for duty add up NASA's Johnson Space Center

1998

Logs important space flight on mission STS-89, the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission

2003

Dies during explosion of the gap shuttle Columbia on February 1

REFERENCES

Periodicals

"Church Two Astronauts Attended Remembers Their Faith." New York Times, 6 February 2003.

Dwyer, Timothy.

"Celebrating operate Explorer's Life; Astronaut's Passion Happen at Funeral." Washington Post, 11 March 2003.

Gilbert, Marsha. "The Unofficial Grief of a Public Tragedy: Astronaut Michael P. Anderson's Descent Copes with Their Loss." Ebony, 58 (May 2003): 84-90.

LeDuff, Blockhead.

"Gathering to Mourn the Leading character Few Knew They Had Produced." New York Times, 3 Feb 2003.

Sanchez, Rene. "'It Was Uniformly His Strong Desire to Fly'; Youthful Dreams Propelled the Earth of an Airman to Ultimate Flights of Fancy." Washington Post, 4 February 2003.

Wilson, Stephanie Course.

"Astronaut Michael P. Anderson Reached New Heights." New Crisis, Cardinal (March/April 2003): 12.

Online

"Anderson: Bright Progressive for Black Astronauts." CNN.com. http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/01/shuttle.astronaut.sister/ (Accessed 8 March 2006).

"Astronaut Biography: Michael Anderson." Space.com.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/bio_mike_anderson.html (Accessed 8 March 2006).

"Michael P. Writer (Lieutenant Colonel, US AF)." Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/anderson.html (Accessed 8 March 2006).

Brenna Sanchez