Ham Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male, Divorced, Two children. Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, USA. US Navy US Navy

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASA Group 17 - 1998. Active Entered space service: 4 June 1998.

NAME:Kenneth T. Ham (Lieutenant Commander, USN)

NASA Astronaut Candidate (Pilot)

PERSONAL DATA:

Born December 12, 1964 in Plainfield, New Jersey. Married to the former Linda J. Hautzinger of Salem, Wisconsin. They have two children, Ryan and Randy. His parents, Ed and Marion Ham, reside in Brunswick, Maine. Her parents, Dick and Dolores, reside in Salem, Wisconsin. Recreational interests include running, weight lifting, all sports, general aviation, snow and water skiing, and sky and scuba diving.

EDUCATION:

Arthur L. Johnson Regional High School, Clark, New Jersey, 1983.
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy, 1987.
M.S., Aeronautical Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School, 1996.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Society of Experimental Test Pilots, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Distinguished Graduate U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

EXPERIENCE:

Ken received his commission as an ensign in the United States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987. He was temporarily assigned to the NASA-JSC zero-g office at Ellington Field, Houston where he flew as a crew member on the NASA zero-g research aircraft. He was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1989 after completing flight training in the T-34C, T-2C, and TA-4J aircraft at NAS Corpus Christi and NAS Beeville, Texas. Ken reported to NAS Cecil Field, Florida for F/A-18 training and subsequent operational assignments with the Privateers of VFA-132 and the Gunslingers of VFA-105. He completed two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea including combat missions over North Iraq and Bosnia. During these tours, he served as an air wing strike leader, F/A-18 demonstration pilot, and night vision goggle instructor. Ken was selected for the Naval Postgraduate School/Test Pilot School cooperative program where he studied aeronautical engineering for 18 months in Monterey California followed by 12 months of test pilot training at NAS Patuxent River Maryland. He was selected as a team member of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Integrated Test Team as one of five Navy pilots responsible for developing a new fleet aircraft. This duty involved envelope expansion flight test in arrested landings, catapult assisted takeoffs, weapon separation, propulsion stability, performance, and general flying qualities. Ken was serving as the F/A-18E/F lead carrier suitability test pilot when he was selected for the astronaut program.

He has logged over 2,500 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft and has over 300 shipboard, and 300 land based arrested landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Selected by NASA in June 1998, he reported for training in August 1998. Astronaut Candidate Training includes orientation briefings and tours, numerous scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training and ground school to prepare for T-38 flight training, as well as learning water and wilderness survival techniques. Following a period of training and evaluation, Ken will receive technical assignments within the Astronaut Office before being assigned to a space flight.

19 July 1985 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 17 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. Of 25 Americans, eight pilots and 17 mission specialists.

• NASA Astronaut Biographies, Johnson Space Center, NASA, 1995-present. Accessed at: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/.