Andrew J. Feustel
Encyclopedia
Andrew J. Feustel (icon; born August 25, 1965, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
) is an American
Geophysicist
and a NASA
astronaut
. His first spaceflight
in May 2009, named STS-125
, lasted just under 13 days . This was a mission with six other astronauts to repair the Hubble Space Telescope
, aboard Space Shuttle
Atlantis
. Feustel performed three spacewalk
s during the mission. Following several years working as a geophysicist, Feustel was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in July 2000. His second spaceflight was STS-134
, which launched on May 16, 2011 and landed on June 1, 2011; that mission is planned to be the second last Space Shuttle flight.
, where he graduated from Lake Orion High School
and received an AS
degree from Oakland Community College
. He then attended Purdue University
, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon
fraternity and received both a BS
in Solid Earth Sciences (1989) and a MS
in Geophysics
(1991). He then moved to Ontario
, Canada
to attend Queen's University
, where he received his PhD
in Geological Sciences
in 1995.
While attending community college, Feustel worked as an auto mechanic at International Autoworks, Ltd., Farmington Hills, Michigan
, restoring 1950’s Jaguars. At Purdue University, Feustel served as a Residence Hall Counselor for two years at Cary Quadrangle for the Purdue University Student Housing organization. His summers were spent working as a commercial and industrial glazier
near his home in Michigan. During his Master‘s degree studies Feustel worked as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department of Purdue University. His M.S. thesis investigated physical property measurements of rock specimens under elevated hydrostatic pressures simulating Earth’s deep crustal environments. While at Purdue, Feustel served for three years as Grand Prix Chairman and team Kart driver for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity
. In 1991, Feustel moved to Kingston, Ontario
, Canada to attend Queen’s University where he worked as a Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Teaching Assistant. Feustel’s Ph.D. thesis investigated seismic wave attenuation in underground mines and measurement techniques and applications to site characterization.
For three years he worked as a Geophysicist for the Engineering Seismology Group
, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, installing and operating microseism
ic monitoring equipment in underground mines throughout Eastern Canada and the United States. In 1997, Feustel began working for the Exxon Exploration Company (now ExxonMobil
Exploration Company), Houston, Texas
, as an Exploration Geophysicist designing and providing operational oversight of land, marine, and borehole
seismic programs worldwide.
. He is currently assigned to the Astronaut Office Space Shuttle and Space Station Branches, where he has been serving in technical support assignments.
In July 2006, Feustel served as an aquanaut
during the NEEMO 10 mission aboard the Aquarius
underwater laboratory
, living and working underwater for seven days. In October 2006, Feustel was announced as a crew member for STS-125
, the final Hubble servicing mission by the Space Shuttle. STS-125 launched on May 11, 2009.
, which was successfully launched to the repair the Hubble Space Telescope
on May 11, 2009. On this mission, Feustel was a Mission Specialist
, and performed three spacewalks
to help repair the telescope itself. During the mission, Feustel accumulated a total EVA time of twenty hours and thirty eight minutes.
at the beginning of their mutual freshman year at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana
; they have two children. He enjoys automobile restoration
, skiing
and guitar
, and is a member of the astronaut band Max Q
. He is also a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon
fraternity.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Geophysicist
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
and a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
. His first spaceflight
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
in May 2009, named STS-125
STS-125
STS-125, or HST-SM4 , was the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope .Launch occurred on 11 May 2009 at 2:01 pm EDT...
, lasted just under 13 days . This was a mission with six other astronauts to repair the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
, aboard Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
. Feustel performed three spacewalk
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
s during the mission. Following several years working as a geophysicist, Feustel was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in July 2000. His second spaceflight was STS-134
STS-134
STS-134 was the penultimate mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program. The mission marked the 25th and final flight of . This flight delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station. Mark Kelly served as the mission commander...
, which launched on May 16, 2011 and landed on June 1, 2011; that mission is planned to be the second last Space Shuttle flight.
Education and early career
Feustel grew up in Lake Orion, MichiganLake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,973 at the 2010 census. "Lake Orion" is often used to describe both the village and the much larger Orion Township, of which the village is a part....
, where he graduated from Lake Orion High School
Lake Orion High School
Lake Orion High School is a public secondary institution located in Orion Township, Michigan. It is a part of Lake Orion Community Schools.The large campus features a centralized commons area, which serves as a distribution center to the wings. The commons area features the cafeteria and student...
and received an AS
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
degree from Oakland Community College
Oakland Community College
Oakland Community College is a community college established June 8, 1964 in Oakland County, Michigan. It opened September 1965 with two campuses - Highland Lakes, a renovated hospital in Union Lake, and Auburn Hills, a former Army Nike missile site in Auburn Hills.OCC is the largest of Michigan's...
. He then attended Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
fraternity and received both a BS
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Solid Earth Sciences (1989) and a MS
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Geophysics
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
(1991). He then moved to Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to attend Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, where he received his PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Geological Sciences
Earth science
Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
in 1995.
While attending community college, Feustel worked as an auto mechanic at International Autoworks, Ltd., Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills is a community in southeastern Michigan. It is the largest city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 79,740 at the 2010 census...
, restoring 1950’s Jaguars. At Purdue University, Feustel served as a Residence Hall Counselor for two years at Cary Quadrangle for the Purdue University Student Housing organization. His summers were spent working as a commercial and industrial glazier
Glazier
A Glazier is a construction professional who selects, cuts, installs, replaces, and removes residential, commercial, and artistic glass. Glaziers also install aluminum storefront frames and entrances, glass handrails and balustrades, shower enclosures, curtain wall framing and glass and mirror...
near his home in Michigan. During his Master‘s degree studies Feustel worked as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department of Purdue University. His M.S. thesis investigated physical property measurements of rock specimens under elevated hydrostatic pressures simulating Earth’s deep crustal environments. While at Purdue, Feustel served for three years as Grand Prix Chairman and team Kart driver for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
. In 1991, Feustel moved to Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, Canada to attend Queen’s University where he worked as a Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Teaching Assistant. Feustel’s Ph.D. thesis investigated seismic wave attenuation in underground mines and measurement techniques and applications to site characterization.
For three years he worked as a Geophysicist for the Engineering Seismology Group
Engineering Seismology Group
ESG Solutions is a geophysical products and services company specializing in microseismic monitoring. ESG manufactures and installs microseismic instrumentation and performs microseismic data processing and interpretation services...
, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, installing and operating microseism
Microseism
In seismology, a microseism is defined as a faint earth tremor caused by natural phenomena. The term is most commonly used to refer to the dominant background seismic noise signal on Earth, which are mostly composed of Rayleigh waves and caused by water waves in the oceans and lakes...
ic monitoring equipment in underground mines throughout Eastern Canada and the United States. In 1997, Feustel began working for the Exxon Exploration Company (now ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
Exploration Company), Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, as an Exploration Geophysicist designing and providing operational oversight of land, marine, and borehole
Borehole
A borehole is the generalized term for any narrow shaft bored in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water or other liquid or gases , as part of a geotechnical investigation, environmental site...
seismic programs worldwide.
NASA career
After working in industry for five years, Feustel was selected as astronaut candidate by NASA in July 2000. In August 2002, he began NASA's two-year training program, training as a mission specialistMission Specialist
A Mission Specialist is a position held by certain NASA astronauts during Space Shuttle missions. A Mission Specialist is assigned to a limited field of the mission, such as for medical experiments or technical quests....
. He is currently assigned to the Astronaut Office Space Shuttle and Space Station Branches, where he has been serving in technical support assignments.
In July 2006, Feustel served as an aquanaut
Aquanaut
An Aquanaut is any individual who remains underwater, exposed to the ambient pressure, long enough to come into equilibrium with his or her breathing media. Usually this is done in an underwater habitat on the seafloor for a period equal to or greater than 24 continuous hours without returning to...
during the NEEMO 10 mission aboard the Aquarius
Aquarius (laboratory)
The NOAA Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater habitat located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, adjacent to Conch Reef. It is one of the few underwater research facilities in the world dedicated to science...
underwater laboratory
Underwater habitat
Underwater habitats are underwater structures in which people can live for extended periods and carry out most of the basic human functions of a 24-hour day, such as working, resting, eating, attending to personal hygiene, and sleeping...
, living and working underwater for seven days. In October 2006, Feustel was announced as a crew member for STS-125
STS-125
STS-125, or HST-SM4 , was the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope .Launch occurred on 11 May 2009 at 2:01 pm EDT...
, the final Hubble servicing mission by the Space Shuttle. STS-125 launched on May 11, 2009.
STS-125
Feustel's first mission was STS-125STS-125
STS-125, or HST-SM4 , was the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope .Launch occurred on 11 May 2009 at 2:01 pm EDT...
, which was successfully launched to the repair the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
on May 11, 2009. On this mission, Feustel was a Mission Specialist
Mission Specialist
A Mission Specialist is a position held by certain NASA astronauts during Space Shuttle missions. A Mission Specialist is assigned to a limited field of the mission, such as for medical experiments or technical quests....
, and performed three spacewalks
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
to help repair the telescope itself. During the mission, Feustel accumulated a total EVA time of twenty hours and thirty eight minutes.
Personal life
Feustel is married to Indira Devi Bhatnagar. Andrew and Indira met as undergraduatesUndergraduate education
Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
at the beginning of their mutual freshman year at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
; they have two children. He enjoys automobile restoration
Automotive Restoration
Automobile restoration is the process of repairing the degraded aspect of a car to return it to an overall "authentic" condition. To renovate a car without updating or upgrading it by keeping in line with how it would have appeared when first offered for sale...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and is a member of the astronaut band Max Q
Max Q (Astronaut band)
Max Q is a Houston-based rock band whose members are all astronauts. It was formed in early 1987 by Robert L. Gibson, George Nelson and Brewster Shaw. Gibson named the band after "max Q," the engineering term for the maximum dynamic pressure from the atmosphere experienced by an ascending...
. He is also a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
fraternity.