Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z

---

Virts, Terry Wayne Jr

---

Virts Credit: www.spacefacts.de

Status: Inactive; Active 2000-2016. Born: 1967-12-01. Spaceflights: 2 . Total time in space: 213.45 days. Birth Place: Baltimore, Maryland.

Educated USAFA; Embry-Riddle; Edwards.

Official NASA Biography as of June 2016:Terry Virts (Colonel, USAF)
NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA: Born in December 1967, in Baltimore, Maryland, but considers Columbia, Maryland, to be his hometown.  Married with two children.  Virts enjoys baseball, astronomy and coaching youth sports.

EDUCATION:

• Oakland Mills High School, Columbia, Maryland, 1985
• B.S., Mathematics (French minor), U.S. Air Force Academy, 1989
• M.A.S., Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1997
• General Management Program, Harvard Business School, 2011

SPECIAL HONORS/AWARDS:  Graduated with Academic Distinction from the United States Air Force Academy and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University;  Distinguished Graduate of Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and F-16 training at Macdill Air Force Base, Florida.  Military decorations include the NASA Space Flight Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, et al.

EXPERIENCE:  Virts attended the Ecole de l'Air (French Air Force Academy) in 1988 on an exchange program from the United States Air Force Academy.  He received his commission as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989.  He earned his pilot wings from Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, in 1990.  From there, Virts completed basic fighter and F-16 training and was assigned to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, as an operational F-16 pilot in the 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron.  After Hurricane Andrew struck Homestead in 1992, his squadron was moved to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.  From 1993 to 1994, he served in the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, where he flew low-altitude night attack missions in the F-16.  Following his tour in Korea, he was reassigned to the 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, from 1995 to 1998.  There, he flew the suppression of enemy air defenses missions, logging 45 combat missions in the F-16.  Virts was a member of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School class 98B at Edwards Air Force Base, California.  Following graduation, he was an Experimental Test Pilot at the F-16 Combined Test Force at Edwards from 1999 until his selection as a member of the 18th group of astronaut candidates in 2000. While at Edwards he served as the chief test pilot for the F-16 HARM Targeting System (HTS) as well as the Multi-Mission Computer (MMC) programs, the largest upgrade program in the 40-year history of the F-16.

He has logged over 4,300 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE:  Selected as a pilot by NASA in July 2000, Virts reported for training in August 2000.  His technical assignments to date have included Lead Astronaut for the T-38 program, Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) test crew member, Expedition 9 Crew Support Astronaut and lead astronaut for appearances.  He has worked as a Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) from Expedition 8 to 19 as well as STS-115 to STS-126, communicating with station and shuttle crews from Mission Control in Houston.  He also served as the lead Ascent and Entry CAPCOM, Chief of the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch and lead astronaut for the Space Launch System heavy lift booster.

SPACEFLIGHT EXPERIENCE STS-130 pilot, Endeavour (February 8 to February 21, 2010), carrying aloft the International Space Station's final permanent modules: Tranquility and Cupola.  Tranquility (or Node 3) is now the life-support hub of the space station, containing exercise, water recycling and environmental control systems, while the Cupola provides the largest set of windows ever flown in space.  These seven windows, which are arranged in a hemisphere, provide a spectacular and panoramic view of our planet and afford crews a direct view of station robotic operations. 

As pilot, Virts was responsible for assisting Commander George Zamka during launch, landing, rendezvous and orbital maneuvering.  He was also the mission's lead robotic operator and was responsible for much of the internal outfitting of Tranquility and Cupola.  During the 13-day, 18-hour mission, Endeavour traveled more than 5.7 million miles and completed 217 orbits of the Earth.

Virts is currently assigned to Expedition 42/43, as commander for Expedition 43, which is scheduled to launch on a Russian Soyuz in December 2014, with a planned landing in May 2015.

OFFICIAL NASA BIOGRAPHY

NAME: Terry W. Virts, Jr., Captain, USAF, Pilot

BIRTHDATE/PLACE: December 1, 1967 - Baltimore, MD

RESIDENCE WHEN RECRUITED: Edwards, CA

EDUCATION: Oakland Mills High School, Columbia, MO, 1985; B.S., Mathematics, U.S. Air Force Academy, 1989; M.A.S., Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1997.

POSITION WHEN RECRUITED: F-16 Test Pilot Edwards AFB, CA

• Birth of Terry Wayne Jr Virts - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Virts. American test pilot astronaut, 2000-2016. 2 spaceflights, 213.5 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-130 (2010), Soyuz TMA-15M..

• NASA Astronaut Training Group 18 selected. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Antonelli, Barratt, Behnken, Boe, Bowen, Drew, Feustel, Ford, Kevin, Garan, Good, Hurley, Kopra, McArthur, Megan, Nyberg, Stott, Virts, Wilmore.

  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.. Seven pilots and ten mission specialists; 14 men and 3 women.

• STS-130 - . Call Sign: Endeavour. Crew: Behnken, Hire, Patrick, Robinson, Virts, Zamka. Payload: Endeavour F24 / Tranquility / Cupola. Mass: 121,320 kg (267,460 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Behnken, Hire, Patrick, Robinson, Virts, Zamka. Agency: NASA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: Soyuz TMA-16, Soyuz TMA-17, STS-130. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Duration: 13.75 days. Decay Date: 2010-02-22 03:20:00 . USAF Sat Cat: 36394 . COSPAR: 2010-004A. Apogee: 348 km (216 mi). Perigee: 334 km (207 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.40 min. Docked with the ISS at 05:06 GMT on 10 February. Primary payloads were the Tranquility module and the Cupola, a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and another in the center, providing a 360-degree view around the station..

• Soyuz TMA-13M - . Call Sign: Cepheus. Crew: Gerst, Surayev, Wiseman. Backup Crew: Cristoforetti, Shkaplerov, Virts. Payload: Soyuz TMA s/n 713. Mass: 7,200 kg (15,800 lb). Nation: Russia. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-13M. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Duration: 165.33 days. Decay Date: 2014-11-10 . USAF Sat Cat: 39775 . COSPAR: 2014-031A. Apogee: 417 km (259 mi). Perigee: 412 km (256 mi). Inclination: 51.65 deg. Period: 92.85 min. Docked with the Rassvet module of the ISS at 01:44 GMT May 29. Undocked from Rassvet at 00:31 GMT on November 10. The deorbit burn at 03:05 GMT reduced velocity by 128 m/s, dipping perigee into the atmosphere. Landed in Kazakhstan at 03:58 GMT..

• Soyuz TMA-15M - . Call Sign: Astraeus. Crew: Cristoforetti, Shkaplerov, Virts. Backup Crew: Yui, Kononenko, Lindgren. Payload: Soyuz TMA s/n 715. Mass: 7,200 kg (15,800 lb). Nation: Russia. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-15M. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Duration: 199.70 days. Decay Date: 2015-06-11 . USAF Sat Cat: 40312 . COSPAR: 2014-074A. Apogee: 404 km (251 mi). Perigee: 399 km (247 mi). Inclination: 51.64 deg. Period: 92.59 min.

  Docked at the Rassvet module of the ISS at 02:49 GMT on 24 November 2014 with the crew of Shkaplerov, Virts, and Cristoforetti. Return was delayed over a month before the booster for the Soyuz TMA-16M crew could be cleared for flight following the third-stage explosion of the booster for Progress TMA-11M. Undocked on 11 June 2015 with the same crew at 10:20 GMT and then landed at 13:43 in Kazakhstan.

• EVA ISS US EVA-29 - . Crew: Virts, Wilmore. EVA Duration: 0.28 days. Nation: USA. Program: ISS.

  The crew lock was depressurized by 12:40 GMT and the hatch opened at 12:42. The astronauts took the two IDA Cable Bags, A and B, and installed them on the end of the Harmony module. Each bag contained four IPIM (IDA Preparation ISS Mod) cables which would route power and data to the IDA-1 and IDA-2 international docking adapters. The IDAs were to be installed on the PMA-2 and PMA-3 Shuttle docking ports later in the year to allow direct docking of Dragon and CST-100 ships to the Station. Cables W2254, W2256, W2258, and W2262 from Bag A and W2252, W2272 from Bag B were installed and routed between PMA-2, Harmony and Destiny. Bag A was returned to the airlock at the end of the spacewalk. Cables W2264 and W2253 remain in Bag B and would be installed on the next EVA. The astronauts closed the Quest hatch at around 19:18 GMT and began airlock repressurization at 19:26 GMT.

• EVA ISS US EVA-30 - . Crew: Virts, Wilmore. EVA Duration: 0.28 days. Nation: USA. Program: ISS.

  The spacewalk begain with airlock depressurization around 11:42 GMT and hatch opening around 11:48 GMT, with the astronauts on battery power at 1151 UTC. Following on EVA USA-29, the remaining two cables were installed, and the soft thermal cover was removed from the PMA-2 docking port. The cover was launched on HTV-3 in July 2012 and installed on PMA-2 during spacewalk US EVA-22 on 9 July 2013. The cover and IDA Bag B were returned to the airlock, after which Virts performed several hours of lubrication work on the Canadarm-2's LEE-A (Latching End Effector, the part that actually grabs things) and Wilmore installed wire ties on the P1 and S1 truss segments to prepare for communications cabling on the next EVA. The hatch was closed at 18:29 GMT and repressurization was at 18:34 GMT.

• EVA ISS US EVA-31 - . Crew: Virts, Wilmore. EVA Duration: 0.23 days. Nation: USA. Program: ISS. The EVA saw the installation of the C2V2 antennae and associated cabling on the P3 and S3 truss segments. The C2V2 system will provide communications links to the Dragon 2 and CST-100 visting commercial crew spaceships..