Astronaut Profile
John Grunsfeld
Mission Specialist
John Grunsfeld, an astronomer known as 'the Hubble repairman,' flew on three separate Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions, including the final one in 2009.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Mission Specialist • Living
Biography
The person behind the mission
John M. Grunsfeld is an astrophysicist who flew five Space Shuttle missions, three of which serviced the Hubble Space Telescope, earning him the nickname 'the Hubble repairman.' He performed some of the most technically demanding spacewalks in Shuttle history during STS-125 in 2009, the telescope's final servicing mission, personally repairing instrument electronics never designed to be fixed in orbit. Grunsfeld later served as NASA's Associate Administrator for Science.
Astronaut Details
Born
October 10, 1958
Birthplace
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Role
Mission Specialist
Program
Space Shuttle
Time in Space
58 days, 15 hours, 15 minutes
EVA Time
58 hours, 30 minutes
Missions
STS-67, STS-81, STS-103, STS-109, STS-125
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal
- National Air and Space Museum Trophy