NASA selects Ohio reservist for space shuttle mission

An Air Force Reserve officer assigned to the F-16 System Program Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is one of four National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts named to fly on space shuttle mission STS-121.

The mission is scheduled to be the second space shuttle flight since Columbia disintegrated while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere Feb. 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board. The first flight is planned for November.

Making his first flight into space will be Lt. Col. Michael E. Fossum, an individual mobilization augmentee assigned to the SPO for the past seven years as a flight test officer with the combined test force.

"This is every 12-year-old's dream job," said Colonel Fossum. "I feel very fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to fly in space with the support of my wife and four children ages 7 to 18."

Colonel Fossum is one of about 12,000 reservists in the IMA program who work part time at active-duty units, balancing the demands of their military service with those of their families and civilian employers. Another 63,800 people in the Selected Reserve perform their duties in Air Force Reserve Command units throughout the United States and overseas.

During STS-121, Colonel Fossum will serve as a mission specialist responsible for supporting flight operations during launch and re-entry. Also, he will perform two spacewalks while the shuttle is docked to the international space station.

To prepare for the mission, the colonel is training with veteran astronaut Air Force Col. Steven W. Lindsey, who will command STS-121; Navy Cmdr. Mark E. Kelly, who will serve as pilot; and Marine Corps Lt. Col. Carlos I. Noriega, who will perform other mission specialist duties. Colonel Lindsey, a three-time shuttle astronaut, commanded the STS-104 mission in 2001. Commander Kelly has flown in space once; Colonel Noriega, twice. Other crewmembers will be named later.

At NASA for 11 years since leaving active duty, Colonel Fossum works in the mission control center area as the voice link between the ground and space station crews. Selected as an astronaut in 1998, he also worked on the space station redesign team and flight testing for the X--38 a prototype lifeboat for the space station.

STS-121 was added to the flight schedule to help accommodate the growing list of requirements originally assigned to the return to flight mission. The crew will re-supply the space station with equipment and consumables. Also, they will continue testing and development of new hardware and procedures designed to make space shuttle flight safer.

Although training will keep him from coming to Wright-Patterson before the mission, Colonel Fossum is looking forward to sharing his space stories with his co-workers in Ohio.

"I've had outstanding support from Team Wright-Patt, and I'm proud to continue to contribute to its success in whatever way I can," he said.

(Ms. Murphy and Ms. Baker are assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Center Office of Public Affairs, Wright-Patterson AFB.)

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