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Ferguson, Christopher John
Ferguson
Ferguson
Credit: www.spacefacts.de
American test pilot astronaut 1998-2011.

Status: Inactive; Active 1998-2011. Born: 1961-09-01. Spaceflights: 3 . Total time in space: 40.42 days. Birth Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Educated Drexel; USNPGS; Patuxent.

Official NASA Biography as of June 2016:Christopher J. Ferguson (CAPTAIN, USN, RET.)
NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)

PERSONAL DATA: Born September 1, 1961, in Philadelphia, PA. Married to the former Sandra A. Cabot. They have three children. Enjoys golf, woodworking and playing the drums.

EDUCATION: Archbishop Ryan High School, Philadelphia, PA, 1979; Drexel University, bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering, 1984; Naval Postgraduate School, master of science in aeronautical engineering, 1991.

AWARDS: Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Strike/Flight Air Medal, NASA Spaceflight Medals, Navy Commendation Medals, Navy Achievement Medal and various other service awards/citations.

EXPERIENCE: Ferguson received his commission from the Navy ROTC program in 1984. He earned his Navy Wings in 1986 and served as an F-14 Tomcat pilot with the "Red Rippers" of VF-11, deploying to the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian oceans onboard the USS Forrestal. While with VF-11, he attended the Navy Fighter Weapon School (TOPGUN). He completed the Naval Postgraduate/Test Pilot School program in 1991. Through June 1995, he served as the F 14D weapon separation project officer and instructor pilot at the Navy's Test Pilot School. He joined the "Checkmates" of VF 211 in 1995, deploying to the Western Pacific/Persian Gulf in defense of the Iraqi no-fly zone onboard the USS Nimitz. He briefly served as the logistics officer for the Atlantic Fleet prior to his selection to the space program. Ferguson has accumulated 5,700 flight hours in more than 30 aircraft types.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Ferguson reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1998. Following initial training, he was assigned technical duties associated with the shuttle main engine, external tank, solid rocket boosters and flight software. He also served as spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) for the STS-118, 120, 128 and 129 missions. Ferguson was the pilot of STS-115 and commanded STS-126 and STS-135. He has logged more than 40 days in space. From November 2009 to September 2010, he served as deputy chief of the Astronaut Office. Ferguson retired from the Navy in June 2010 and from NASA in December 2011.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-115 Atlantis (September 9 to September 21, 2006) successfully restarted assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). During the 12-day mission, the crew delivered and installed the massive P3/P4 truss segment and two sets of solar arrays. The crew also performed more than 30 hours of robotic work using the shuttle robotic arm as well as three spacewalks to complete the truss installation.

STS-126 Endeavour (November 14 to November 30, 2008) launched at night from Kennedy Space Center and returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base in California. On this 15-day "home improvement" mission, the crew delivered a water recycling system, two sleeping quarters, a kitchen, a space commode, exercise equipment and a combustion science experiment to the ISS. A total of four EVAs (spacewalks) by three members of the crew were performed to repair a balky rotary joint used to point the solar arrays at the sun.

STS-135/ULF7 Atlantis (July 8 to July 21, 2011) delivered approximately 10,000 pounds of supplies and spare parts to the ISS using the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM). Atlantis' crew of four also delivered the robotic refueling module and returned a failed ammonia pump to help NASA improve pump designs for future systems. The mission also included one spacewalk by Expedition 28's Mike Fossum and Ron Garan. STS-135 was the 37th shuttle mission to the ISS and the 33rd and final flight of Atlantis. The Space Shuttle Program came to a conclusion with Atlantis' landing on July 21, 2011, after more than 30 years of service.

DECEMBER 2011

NASA Official Biography

NAME: Christopher J. Ferguson (Lieutenant Commander, USN)
NASA Astronaut Candidate (Pilot)

PERSONAL DATA:
Born September 1, 1961 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Married to the former Sandra A. Cabot. They have three children. Recreational interests include golf, woodworking, running, music, and weight lifting. His mother, Mary Ann Pietras and stepfather, Norman Pietras, reside in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Sandra's mother, Trudy, resides in Norristown, PA. His father, Ian A. Ferguson, is deceased.

EDUCATION:
Graduated from Archbishop Ryan High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1979; received a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University, 1984 and a master of science in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, 1991.

ORGANIZATIONS:
Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Pi Tau Sigma Engineering Honor Society

AWARDS:
Navy Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (3), Navy Achievement Medal, various other service awards/citations.

EXPERIENCE:
Ferguson was commissioned from the NROTC program after completion of a 5 year cooperative education curriculum at Drexel University. He was temporarily assigned to the Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland prior to commencing flight school in Pensacola, Florida in November 1984. Following flight training in Florida and Texas, he received his Navy wings and was ordered to the F-14 replacement training squadron in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where, after a nine month period of instruction, he joined the 'Red Rippers' of VF-11. With VF-11 he made deployments to the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean on board the USS Forrestal (CV-59). While with VF-11 he also attended the Navy Fighter Weapon School (TOPGUN). He was selected for the Naval Postgraduate/Test Pilot School program in 1989 and graduated with class 101. From July 1992 through June 1994 he was assigned to the Ordnance Branch of the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate at NAS Patuxent River. There he served as the project officer for the F-14D weapon separation program where he became the first to release numerous air-to-ground stores from both the A and D model of the Tomcat. In July 1994, he was chosen to instruct at the Naval Test Pilot School which he did so until July 1995. After a brief retraining period he joined the 'Checkmates' of VF-211 where he completed a deployment to the Western Pacific/Persian Gulf aboard the Nimitz (CVN-68) in support Operation Southern Watch and contingency operations off the coast of Taiwan. He briefly served as the F-14 Class Desk Officer for the Commander Naval Air Force, Atlantic Fleet prior to his selection to the space program.

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, he will receive technical assignments within the Astronaut Office before being assigned to a space flight.

NOVEMBER 1998

More at: Ferguson.
Family: Astronaut. Country: USA. Spacecraft: ISS. Flights: STS-115, STS-126, STS-135. Agency: USN. Bibliography: 12, 5375.
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