Sandra Magnus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Magnus in 2011 | |
| Born | (1964-10-30)October 30, 1964 (age 61) Belleville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | Missouri University of Science and Technology (BS) Georgia Institute of Technology (MS,PhD) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
Time in space | 157d 8h 42m[1] |
| Selection | NASA Group 16 (1996) |
| Missions | STS-112 STS-126/119 (Expedition 18) STS-135 |
Mission insignia |      |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Materials science |
| Thesis | An Investigation of the Relationship between the Thermochemistry and Emission Behavior of Thermionic Cathodes Based on the BaO-Sc₂O₃-WO₃ Ternary System (1996) |
| Doctoral advisor | Norman Hill |
| Signature | |
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Sandra Hall Magnus (born October 30, 1964) is an Americanengineer and a formerNASAastronaut.[2] She flew to space three times, as mission specialist onSTS-112, as ISS crewmember duringExpedition 18 and as mission specialist onSTS-135. She is also a licensedamateur radio operator with thecall sign KE5FYE. From 2012 until 2018 Magnus was the executive director of theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Magnus was born and raised inBelleville, Illinois. She earned degrees inphysics andelectrical engineering from the University of Missouri–Rolla (now known as theMissouri University of Science and Technology) before earning aPhD inmaterials science andengineering from theGeorgia Institute of Technology in 1996. Research for herdissertation, entitled "An Investigation of the relationship between thethermochemistry andemission behavior ofthermionic cathodes based on the BaO-Sc2O3-WO3 ternary system," was supported by a fellowship from theNASA Lewis Research Center.[3]
During the 1980s, Magnus worked onstealth aircraft design as anengineer forMcDonnell Douglas. She worked on the propulsion system for theA-12 Avenger II until the project was canceled by theNavy in 1991.[2]
Magnus was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996. Following training for two years from January 1997 until May 1998, Magnus was assigned to the Payloads/Habitability branch in the Astronaut office. Her work included coordinating with the European Space Agency and the Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and Brazil. In May 1998 she was assigned to work in Russia supporting payload hardware development and testing. In 2000 she wasCAPCOM for the International Space Station.[2]
She flew her first space mission,STS-112, in October 2002 as a mission specialist. The main objective ofSpace ShuttleAtlantis' mission was the installation of the S1 truss section on theInternational Space Station (ISS) and consumables delivery. Magnus operated the space station's robotic arm during the three spacewalks required to install and activate the S1 truss. The flight duration was 10 days 19 hours 58 minutes and 44 seconds.[1]
From January 29–31, 2006, together with Oleg Artemiev andMichael Barratt, Magnus took part in a two-day examination for the ability to survive in an uninhabited area in case of theSoyuz descent module making an emergency landing. She passed this examination in the forest nearMoscow.[4]
From September 16–22, 2006, Magnus served as the commander of NASA'sNEEMO 11 mission, an undersea expedition at theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'sAquarius laboratory located off the coast ofFlorida. With fellow astronaut/aquanautsTimothy Kopra,Robert Behnken andTimothy Creamer, all of whom were training for possible assignment to missions to the International Space Station, Magnus imitatedmoonwalks, tested concepts for mobility using variousspacesuit configurations and weights to simulate lunargravity. Techniques for communication, navigation, geological sample retrieval, construction and using remote-controlledrobots on theMoon's surface also were tested.National Undersea Research Center support crew members Larry Ward and Roger Garcia providedengineering support inside thehabitat.[5]
Magnus served as flight engineer on board the International Space Station as part ofExpedition 18.[2] Magnus was a mission specialist onSTS-126 for the trip to the station, which launched on November 14, 2008. She served as mission specialist onSTS-119 when it returned on March 28, 2009.[2] She logged 133 days in orbit and received warm greetings from NASA on her return. Her replacement,JAXA astronautKoichi Wakata, was launched aboardDiscovery on March 15, 2009.[6]
On September 14, 2010, NASA announced Magnus to be one of four astronauts assigned to the STS-135 "launch on need" crew that was, if needed, to fly a rescue mission forSTS-134, which was originally the last scheduled shuttle flight.[7] Other members assigned to that crew were commanderChristopher Ferguson, pilotDouglas G. Hurley, and fellow mission specialistRex J. Walheim. In January 2011, NASA addedSTS-135 to the manifest as the final Space Shuttle mission, scheduled to launch in July 2011; STS-134 was conducted successfully in May 2011, requiring no rescue flight. The mission launched successfully on 8 July 2011 and landed on July 21.
In September 2012, Magnus became deputyChief of the Astronaut Office.
In October 2012, Magnus left NASA Astronaut corps to become the executive director of theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).[8] She was the executive director until January 2018.[9]
From 2018 to 2019, Magnus was a principal at AstroPlanetView. In 2019, she became the deputy director for Engineering within the Office of theUnder Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering,[10] serving under formerNASA AdministratorMichael Griffin.
On February 9, 2021,Virgin Galactic announced that Magnus would be joining their Space Advisory Board to help "provide advice to senior management as the company moves forward to open space for the benefit of all."[11] Magnus will be joined by former astronautChris Hadfield and Chief Scientist ofCubic CorporationDavid A. Whelan.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.
NASA Astronaut Group 15 ← NASA Astronaut Group 16 →NASA Astronaut Group 17 | |||||||
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