Rex J. Walheim

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Rex Walheim
Rex Walheim
Country: United States
Organization: NASA
selected on May 1, 1996
( 16th NASA Group )
Calls: 3 space flights
Start of the
first space flight: 		April 8, 2002
Landing of the
last space flight: 		July 21, 2011
Time in space: 36d 08h 31min
EVA inserts: 5
EVA total duration: 36h 23min
retired on July 27, 2020
Space flights

Rex Joseph Walheim (born October 10, 1962 in Redwood City , State of California , USA ) is a retired American astronaut .

Career

Walheim received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California in 1984 and a master's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Houston in 1989 .

In May 1984 Walheim went to the US Air Force and worked for the missile early warning system at the Cavalier Air Force Station in North Dakota . In October 1986 he became an engineer at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center . However, he returned to the Air Force Space Command headquarters in Colorado in August 1989 , where he led a program for the further development of missile warning systems. From 1991 he was trained as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base and then worked in the test program for the F-16 . From January 1996 until his selection as an astronaut, he was employed as an instructor at the USAF Test Pilot School.

Astronaut activity

In March 1996, Walheim was selected by NASA as an astronaut aspirant and trained as a mission specialist. He then worked for the astronaut office on the program for the International Space Station (ISS) and as a liaison officer ( CAPCOM ) in the mission control center. After his first space flight, he moved to the Department for Space Operations (EVA). There he represents the astronaut office in matters relating to the EMU space suit ( Extravehicular Mobility Unit ).

Together with astronaut Scott Kelly and four other volunteers, Walheim spent one and a half weeks in the underwater laboratory "Aquarius" in September 2002, six months after his first space flight. This excursion took place as part of the NEEMO program.

STS-110

On April 8, 2002, Walheim flew with the space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station (ISS). The lattice structure element S0 and a rail car were brought to the ISS. The carriage, known as the Mobile Transporter , uses the rail system laid on the grid elements. Together with his colleague Steven Smith , Walheim carried out two of the four space exits on this mission.

STS-122

Walheim took off on February 7, 2008 with the space shuttle Atlantis for the STS-122 mission . The European space laboratory module Columbus was brought to the ISS. The landing took place on February 20, 2008.

STS-135

On September 14, 2010, Walheim was nominated as a mission specialist for the STS-135 shuttle mission . The launch took place on July 8th, the landing on July 21st, 2011. It was the last space flight of the space shuttle program.

Walheim left NASA on July 27, 2020.

Private

Rex Walheim is married and has two children.

See also

Web links

Commons : Rex Joseph Walheim  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ NASA Assigns Crew for Final Launch on Need Shuttle Mission. NASA, September 14, 2010, accessed May 6, 2011 .
  2. ^ PR Newswire: Veteran Astronaut Rex Walheim Retires from NASA. July 27, 2020, accessed on July 28, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Walheim, Rex J.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Walheim, Rex Joseph
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American astronaut
DATE OF BIRTH October 10, 1962
PLACE OF BIRTH Redwood City , California