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AVIATION HISTORY AUSTRALIA SPACE AND AEROSPACE RESEARCH
Andrew S. W. Thomas (Ph.D.) ,NASA Astronaut, born December 18, 1951, in Adelaide, South Australia. Married to Astronaut Shannon Walker. He enjoys horse riding and jumping, mountain biking, running, wind surfing, and classical guitar playing. His father, Adrian C. Thomas, resides in Hackham, South Australia. His mother, Mary E. Thomas, resides in North Adelaide, South Australia. Received a bachelor of engineering degree in mechanical engineering, with First Class Honors, from the University of Adelaide, South Australia, in 1973, and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Adelaide, South Australia, in 1978. Honorary Fellow, The Institution of Engineers Australia. |
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Dr. Thomas began his
professional career as a research scientist with the Lockheed Aeronautical
Systems Company, Marietta, Georgia, in 1977. At that time he was responsible
for experimental investigations into the control of fluid dynamic
instabilities and aircraft drag. In 1980, he was appointed Principal
Aerodynamic Scientist to the company and headed a research team examining
various problems in advanced aerodynamics and aircraft flight test. This was
followed in 1983 by an appointment as the head of the Advanced Flight
Sciences Department to lead a research department of engineers and
scientists engaged in experimental and computational studies in fluid
dynamics, aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. He was also manager of the
research laboratory, the wind tunnels, and the test facilities used in these
studies. In 1987, Dr. Thomas was named manager of Lockheed’s Flight Sciences
Division and directed the technical efforts in vehicle aerodynamics, flight
controls and propulsion systems that supported the company’s fleet of
production aircraft.
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:
STS-77 was a 10-day mission during which the crew deployed two satellites,
tested a large inflatable space structure on orbit and conducted a variety
of scientific experiments in a Spacehab laboratory module carried in
Endeavour’s payload bay. The flight was launched from the Kennedy Space
Center on May 19, 1996 and completed 160 orbits 153 nautical miles above the
Earth while traveling 4.1 million miles and logging 240 hours and 39 minutes
in space. On January 22, 1998, Dr. Thomas launched aboard Space Shuttle
Endeavour as part of the STS-89 crew to dock with the Mir Space Station. He
served aboard Mir as Flight Engineer 2 and returned to earth with the crew
of STS-91 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on June 12, 1998, completing 141
days in space and 2,250 orbits of the earth. |
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