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Terry W Virts

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Nationality
  
American

Selection
  
2000 NASA Group

Space missions
  
Status
  
Active

Total EVAs
  
3

First space flight
  

Rank
  
Colonel US Air Force

Name
  
Terry Virts

Space agency
  
Time in space
  
213d 10h 48m

Role
  
Astronaut

Extravehicular activities
  
3

Terry W. Virts httpspbstwimgcomprofileimages4719317310636

Born
  
December 1, 1967 (age 56) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. (
1967-12-01
)

Education
  
United States Air Force Academy, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Oakland Mills High School

Similar People
  
Anton Shkaplerov, Samantha Cristoforetti, Robert L Behnken, George D Zamka, Nicholas Patrick

Profiles

Terry W. Virts, Jr. (born December 1, 1967) is a NASA astronaut, and Colonel in the United States Air Force.

Contents

Terry W. Virts Terry W Virts Wikiwand

Background and education

Terry W. Virts Space cheeseburger looks distinctly unappetising but

Virts was born in 1967 in Baltimore, Maryland, but considers Columbia, Maryland, to be his hometown. He graduated from Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, Maryland in 1985. He earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics (with a French minor) from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989 and a master of aeronautical science degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1997. While at the Air Force Academy, Virts attended the École de l'Air in 1988 on an exchange program.

Military career

Terry W. Virts The very best tweets from returning astronaut Terry Virts

Virts was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989 and earned his pilot wings at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. He completed basic fighter lead-in training at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico followed by formal training in the F-16 Fighting Falcon with the 56th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He was then assigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. After Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida in 1992, his squadron was moved to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. He was later assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, and the 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Virts was selected for Test Pilot School in 1997 at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Following graduation, he was an Experimental Test Pilot at the F-16 Combined Test Force. He has logged over 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft.

NASA career

Terry W. Virts Jackie Robinson remembered in outer space by astronaut

Selected as a pilot by NASA in July 2000, Virts reported for training in August 2000. His technical assignments have included lead astronaut for the NASA T-38 program, Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) test crewmember, and Expedition 9 crew support astronaut. He was the pilot of STS-130 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour and as of 2015 is assigned as a CAPCOM, communicating with station crews from mission control in Houston.

Terry W. Virts Terry Wayne Virts Wikipdia

On November 23, 2014, Soyuz TMA-15M carrying Terry and two other astronauts launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. It successfully docked at the International Space Station roughly six hours later.

On February 28, 2015, following the death of beloved Star Trek actor, Leonard Nimoy, who famously portrayed Spock, Terry tweeted an image from the International Space Station of his Vulcan Cohanim-inspired salute (which had been improvised by the late actor when he was asked to portray an alien life form's desire that others live long and prosper) as the ISS flew over Boston, the city of Nimoy's birth.

With the impending scheduled departure of Soyuz TMA-14M in March 2015, Virts assumed command of the International Space Station as commander of Expedition 43.

Virts retired from NASA in August 2016.

Awards and honors

Virts graduated with Academic Distinction from the United States Air Force Academy and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, was a distinguished graduate of Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and F-16 training at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

References

Terry W. Virts Wikipedia


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