Astronaut Profile
Michael P. Anderson
Payload Commander
Michael Anderson, a physicist and Air Force officer, had already flown to Mir once before he was killed on his second flight when Columbia broke apart during reentry.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Payload Commander • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
Michael P. Anderson was a United States Air Force officer and physicist who first flew in space aboard STS-89 in 1998, a mission that docked with the Russian space station Mir. He returned as Payload Commander on STS-107 in 2003, leading the science program aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. On February 1, 2003, damage sustained during launch caused the orbiter to break apart during reentry, killing Anderson and all six of his crewmates.
Astronaut Details
Born
December 25, 1959
Died
February 1, 2003
Birthplace
Plattsburgh, New York, USA
Role
Payload Commander
Program
Space Shuttle
Time in Space
24 days, 18 hours
Missions
STS-89, STS-107
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal (posthumous)
- Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross