David Wolf
Encyclopedia
David Alexander Wolf is an American
astronaut, medical doctor, electrical engineer. Wolf has been to space four times. Three of his spaceflights were short-duration Space Shuttle
missions, the first of which was STS-58
in 1993, and his most recent spaceflight was STS-127
in 2009. Wolf also took part in a long-duration mission aboard the Russia
n space station
Mir
which lasted 128 days, and occurred during Mir EO-24
. He was brought to Mir aboard STS-86
in September 1997, and landed aboard STS-89
in January 1998. In total Wolf has logged more than 4,040 hours in space. He is also a veteran of 7 spacewalks totaling 41hrs 17min in both Russian and American spacesuits.
where he graduated "with distinction" and became a brother in the Alpha Tau Omega
Fraternity. In 1982, he earned a medical degree from Indiana University
. He subsequently trained as a flight surgeon with the United States Air Force
. Wolf joined the staff of Johnson Space Center in 1983 and investigated the physiological effects of microgravity.
in 1990 and NASA Inventor of the Year in 1992. Dr. Wolf received an Academic Achievement Award upon graduation from medical school. He received the Carl R. Ruddell scholarship award for research in medical ultrasonic signal and image processing. He is a member of Eta Kappa Nu
and Phi Eta Sigma
honorary societies. Dr. Wolf has received 15 U.S. Patents and over 20 Space Act Awards primarily for 3-dimensional tissue engineering technologies, earning the Texas State Bar Patent of the Year in 1994. He has published over 40 technical papers.
Dave Wolf is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
, the Aerospace Medical Association
, the Experimental Aircraft Association
, the International Aerobatic Club
, and the Air National Guard
(retired).
The City of Indianapolis honored Wolf by naming a bridge on 82nd Street in the Castleton area the "David Wolf Bridge."
, Texas
. He was responsible for engineering development and spacecraft avionics integration of the American Flight Echocardiograph for investigating cardiovascular physiology in microgravity. Upon completion he was assigned as chief engineer for design of the Space Station medical facility, directly responsible for multidisciplinary team management, requirements definition, system design, spacecraft systems integration, project schedule, functional and safety verification, and budgetary authority. Dave Wolf was selected by NASA as a candidate in 1990. He completed 18 months of training before being qualified for flight. He was assigned to Kennedy Space Center
in Florida
where he was involved in Orbiter vehicle processing and testing and as a Capcom. He is expert in Extravehicular Activity (Spacewalk), Spacesuit design, and Rendezvous navigation. Some of his other qualifications include Robotic Manipulator System (Robot Arm) operations, On-orbit systems repair, computer networking, and as Shuttle re-entry flight deck engineer.
During his training for a Mir
expedition, he lived and trained in Star City
, Russia
at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Dr. Wolf became fluent in Russian, as all of his training there was in Russian.
mission. STS-58, designated Spacelab Life Sciences 2, was the second dedicated mission to study regulatory physiology, cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal and neuroscience. The mission lasted 14 days, 0 hours, 12 minutes and 32 seconds. Columbia landed at Edwards Air Force Base
in California
. At the time of landing STS-58 was the longest duration mission flown.
in September 1997. Wolf was only on board for a short time as he was being transported the Russian Mir
space station. Atlantis docked with the Mir space station on 27 September 1997, which marked the start of Dave Wolf's stay on Mir.
David Wolf spent 128 days aboard space station Mir. He conducted a number of experiments and studies including, advanced microgravity tissue engineering techniques, electromagnetic levitation platform capability, colloid behavior, Radio-tracer studies of altered human erythropoetic function, and human microgravity physiology studies. During his stay, there were a number of systems failures including multiple failed spacecraft systems, including atmospheric life support, three total power system failures, loss of attitude control, primary computer system failure, humidity separation system loss. An emergency ingress had to be made during an EVA performed in the Russian Orlan spacesuit due to airlock hatch failure. The entire mission and training were conducted solely in Russian.
While aboard Mir, Wolf became the first American to vote from space, casting a ballot in a 1997 local election.
STS-89
was David Wolf's return ride home to earth. STS-89 docked with Mir on 24 January 1998, marking the end of Wolf's stay on Mir. Endeavour touched down on 31 January 1998.
mission. STS-112 delivered the S1 truss segment
the International Space Station
(ISS). Atlantis launched on 7 October 2002 from Kennedy Space Center. Wolf conducted 3 spacewalks, to install the S1 truss segment and other EVA hardware. He spent a total of 19hrs and 1 minute outside the ISS. Atlantis landed on 18 October 2002, ending STS-112 at 10 days, 19 hours, 58 minutes and 44 seconds.
(2J/A) mission. The STS-127 launched on 15 July 2009 and the mission delivered the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module - Exposed Section (ELM-ES) and new expedition member Timothy Kopra. STS-127 was originally scheduled to launch in June 2009, but was delayed after a leak was detected at the gaseous hydrogen vent line. A second attempt was made 3 days after the first try but was scrubbed for the same problem. A third launch attempt was canceled due to bad weather and a further delay was occurred when lighning struck near the pad. Wolf conducted 3 space walks, totaling 18hrs 24min. STS-127 landed on 31 July 2009 and lasted 15 days, 16hrs, 44min and 58seconds.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astronaut, medical doctor, electrical engineer. Wolf has been to space four times. Three of his spaceflights were short-duration 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...
missions, the first of which was STS-58
STS-58
STS-58 shuttle mission of Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 18 October 1993. It was also the last time Columbia would land at Edwards Air Force Base.-Crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass:...
in 1993, and his most recent spaceflight was STS-127
STS-127
STS-127 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station . It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility , and the Exposed Section of the...
in 2009. Wolf also took part in a long-duration mission aboard the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
which lasted 128 days, and occurred during Mir EO-24
Mir EO-24
-Crew:This mission was part of the Shuttle-Mir Program, in which three American astronauts flew aboard the station during Mir EO-24.Note: Léopold Eyharts joined the Soyuz TM-26 crew on the way home from Mir, after launching with Soyuz TM-27 crewmembers Talgat Musabayev and Nikolai Budarin at the...
. He was brought to Mir aboard STS-86
STS-86
STS-86 was a Space Shuttle Atlantis mission to the Mir space station. This was the last Atlantis mission before it was taken out of service temporarily for maintenance and upgrades, including the glass cockpit.-Crew:-Crew notes:...
in September 1997, and landed aboard STS-89
STS-89
STS-89 was a space shuttle mission to the Mir space station flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 22 January 1998.-Crew:-Crew notes:...
in January 1998. In total Wolf has logged more than 4,040 hours in space. He is also a veteran of 7 spacewalks totaling 41hrs 17min in both Russian and American spacesuits.
Education
David Wolf graduated from North Central High School. Wolf then went on to earn a degree in electrical engineering from Purdue UniversityPurdue 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 graduated "with distinction" and became a brother in the Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
Fraternity. In 1982, he earned a medical degree from Indiana University
Indiana University School of Medicine
The Indiana University School of Medicine is a leading medical school and medical research powerhouse connected to Indiana University. With several teaching campuses in the state, the School of Medicine has its predominant research and medical center at the Indiana University – Purdue University...
. He subsequently trained as a flight surgeon with the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Wolf joined the staff of Johnson Space Center in 1983 and investigated the physiological effects of microgravity.
Honors and Organizations
David Wolf has received numerous awards and honors. He is a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement MedalNASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal
The NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal is an award given for exceptional engineering contributions toward achieving the NASA mission. It is open to government employees and non-government personnel.-External links:* *...
in 1990 and NASA Inventor of the Year in 1992. Dr. Wolf received an Academic Achievement Award upon graduation from medical school. He received the Carl R. Ruddell scholarship award for research in medical ultrasonic signal and image processing. He is a member of Eta Kappa Nu
Eta Kappa Nu
Eta Kappa Nu is the electrical and computer engineering honor society of the IEEE, founded in October 1904 by Maurice L. Carr at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The organization currently has around 200 student chapters and about 3,000,000 members and is headquartered in Chicago,...
and Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma is an American freshman honor society. Founded at the University of Illinois on March 22, 1923, is the oldest and largest freshman honor society and now has more than three hundred chapters throughout the United States and more than 1 million members.-Eligibility:Any first-year...
honorary societies. Dr. Wolf has received 15 U.S. Patents and over 20 Space Act Awards primarily for 3-dimensional tissue engineering technologies, earning the Texas State Bar Patent of the Year in 1994. He has published over 40 technical papers.
Dave Wolf is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
, the Aerospace Medical Association
Aerospace Medical Association
The Aerospace Medical Association is the largest professional organization in the fields of aviation, space, and environmental medicine. The AsMA membership includes aerospace and hyperbaric medicine specialists, scientists, flight nurses, physiologists, and researchers from all over the world.-...
, the Experimental Aircraft Association
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....
, the International Aerobatic Club
International Aerobatic Club
The International Aerobatic Club is a division of the Experimental Aircraft Association and the National Aeronautics Association...
, and the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
(retired).
The City of Indianapolis honored Wolf by naming a bridge on 82nd Street in the Castleton area the "David Wolf Bridge."
NASA career
David Wolf began his NASA career in the Medical Sciences Division at the Johnson Space Center in HoustonHouston, 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 ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was responsible for engineering development and spacecraft avionics integration of the American Flight Echocardiograph for investigating cardiovascular physiology in microgravity. Upon completion he was assigned as chief engineer for design of the Space Station medical facility, directly responsible for multidisciplinary team management, requirements definition, system design, spacecraft systems integration, project schedule, functional and safety verification, and budgetary authority. Dave Wolf was selected by NASA as a candidate in 1990. He completed 18 months of training before being qualified for flight. He was assigned to Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
where he was involved in Orbiter vehicle processing and testing and as a Capcom. He is expert in Extravehicular Activity (Spacewalk), Spacesuit design, and Rendezvous navigation. Some of his other qualifications include Robotic Manipulator System (Robot Arm) operations, On-orbit systems repair, computer networking, and as Shuttle re-entry flight deck engineer.
During his training for a Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
expedition, he lived and trained in Star City
Star City, Russia
Star City is a common name of an area in Moscow Oblast, Russia, which has since the 1960s been home to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Dr. Wolf became fluent in Russian, as all of his training there was in Russian.
STS-58
David Wolf served as mission specialist 3 aboard Columbia during the STS-58STS-58
STS-58 shuttle mission of Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 18 October 1993. It was also the last time Columbia would land at Edwards Air Force Base.-Crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass:...
mission. STS-58, designated Spacelab Life Sciences 2, was the second dedicated mission to study regulatory physiology, cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal and neuroscience. The mission lasted 14 days, 0 hours, 12 minutes and 32 seconds. Columbia landed at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. At the time of landing STS-58 was the longest duration mission flown.
Mir Expedition 24
Wolf flew aboard Atlantis on STS-86STS-86
STS-86 was a Space Shuttle Atlantis mission to the Mir space station. This was the last Atlantis mission before it was taken out of service temporarily for maintenance and upgrades, including the glass cockpit.-Crew:-Crew notes:...
in September 1997. Wolf was only on board for a short time as he was being transported the Russian Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
space station. Atlantis docked with the Mir space station on 27 September 1997, which marked the start of Dave Wolf's stay on Mir.
David Wolf spent 128 days aboard space station Mir. He conducted a number of experiments and studies including, advanced microgravity tissue engineering techniques, electromagnetic levitation platform capability, colloid behavior, Radio-tracer studies of altered human erythropoetic function, and human microgravity physiology studies. During his stay, there were a number of systems failures including multiple failed spacecraft systems, including atmospheric life support, three total power system failures, loss of attitude control, primary computer system failure, humidity separation system loss. An emergency ingress had to be made during an EVA performed in the Russian Orlan spacesuit due to airlock hatch failure. The entire mission and training were conducted solely in Russian.
While aboard Mir, Wolf became the first American to vote from space, casting a ballot in a 1997 local election.
STS-89
STS-89
STS-89 was a space shuttle mission to the Mir space station flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 22 January 1998.-Crew:-Crew notes:...
was David Wolf's return ride home to earth. STS-89 docked with Mir on 24 January 1998, marking the end of Wolf's stay on Mir. Endeavour touched down on 31 January 1998.
STS-112
Dave Wolf flew aboard Atlantis during the STS-112STS-112
STS-112 was an 11-day space shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by . Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched on 7 October 2002 at 19:45 UTC from the Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39B to deliver the 28,000 pound Starboard 1 truss segment to the Space Station...
mission. STS-112 delivered the S1 truss segment
Integrated Truss Structure
the Integrated Truss Structure forms the backbone of the International Space Station, with mountings for unpressurized logistics carriers, radiators, solar arrays, and other equipment.-History:...
the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS). Atlantis launched on 7 October 2002 from Kennedy Space Center. Wolf conducted 3 spacewalks, to install the S1 truss segment and other EVA hardware. He spent a total of 19hrs and 1 minute outside the ISS. Atlantis landed on 18 October 2002, ending STS-112 at 10 days, 19 hours, 58 minutes and 44 seconds.
STS-127
David Wolf last flew on Endeavour during the STS-127STS-127
STS-127 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station . It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility , and the Exposed Section of the...
(2J/A) mission. The STS-127 launched on 15 July 2009 and the mission delivered the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module - Exposed Section (ELM-ES) and new expedition member Timothy Kopra. STS-127 was originally scheduled to launch in June 2009, but was delayed after a leak was detected at the gaseous hydrogen vent line. A second attempt was made 3 days after the first try but was scrubbed for the same problem. A third launch attempt was canceled due to bad weather and a further delay was occurred when lighning struck near the pad. Wolf conducted 3 space walks, totaling 18hrs 24min. STS-127 landed on 31 July 2009 and lasted 15 days, 16hrs, 44min and 58seconds.