Kent Rominger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Kent Vernon Rominger (1956-08-07)August 7, 1956 (age 69) Del Norte, Colorado, U.S. |
| Other names | Rommel |
| Education | Colorado State University (BS) Naval Postgraduate School (MS) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain,USN |
Time in space | 67d 2h 58m |
| Selection | NASA Group 14 (1992) |
| Missions | STS-73 STS-80 STS-85 STS-96 STS-100 |
Mission insignia |      |
Kent Vernon "Rommel" Rominger (born August 7, 1956) is an American formerastronaut, formerNASAChief of the Astronaut Office atJohnson Space Center, and acaptain in theUnited States Navy. Rominger holds the Space Shuttle Orbiter flight time record with 1610 hours.[1] He joinedATK Launch Systems Group in 2006 as Vice President of Advanced Programs.[2]
Kent Rominger was born August 7, 1956, inDel Norte, Colorado. He graduated from Del Norte High School in 1974. In 1978, he received aBachelor of Science degree incivil engineering fromColorado State University, and in 1987 aMaster of Science degree inaeronautical engineering from the U.S.Naval Postgraduate School. He and his wife Mary Sue have one daughter.
Rominger received his commission through the Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate (AVROC) Program in 1979, and was designated aNaval Aviator in September 1980. Following training in theF-14 Tomcat, he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 2 (VF-2) from October 1981 to January 1985 aboard theaircraft carriersUSS Ranger andUSS Kitty Hawk. While assigned to VF-2, Rominger attended theNavy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). In 1987 he completed the Naval Postgraduate School/Test Pilot School Cooperative Program, and was assigned as F-14 Project Officer to the Carrier Suitability Branch of the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate atNaval Air Station Patuxent River,Maryland. During his tour of duty, Rominger completed the initial carrier suitability sea trials of the F-14B, logging the first aircraft carrier arrestment and catapult launch in the upgraded Tomcat. In September 1990, he reported to Fighter Squadron 211 (VF-211), where he served as Operations Officer and completed aDesert Storm Deployment to thePersian Gulf aboardUSS Nimitz.
He has logged over 5,000 flying hours in over 35 types of aircraft and 685 carrier landings.
Selected by NASA in March 1992, Rominger reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992. He completed one year of training and qualified for assignment as a pilot on futureSpace Shuttle flight crews. Rominger was initially assigned to work technical issues for the Astronaut Office Operations Development Branch. He also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office Shuttle Operations Branch, and deputy director, Flight Crew Operations. A veteran of five space flights, Rominger has logged over 1,600 hours in space These were all as a STS Orbiter crew member, the highest total in this category. He flew as pilot onSTS-73 in 1995,STS-80 in 1996 andSTS-85 in 1997, and was crew commander onSTS-96 in 1999 andSTS-100 in 2001. Rominger served as Chief of the Astronaut Office and professional head of theNASA Astronaut Corps from 2002 to 2006, responsible for the mission preparation activities of all Space Shuttle and futureInternational Space Station crews and their support personnel.
STS-73 inSpace ShuttleColumbia (October 20 to November 5, 1995) was the second United States Microgravity Laboratory mission. The mission focused onmaterials science,biotechnology,combustion science,fluid dynamics, and numerous scientific experiments housed in the pressurizedSpacelab module. In completing his first space flight, Rominger orbited the Earth 256 times, traveled over 6 million miles, and logged a total of 15 days, 21 hours, and 52 minutes in space.[3]
STS-80, also inColumbia (November 19 to December 7, 1996) was a 17-day mission during which the crew deployed and retrieved the Wake Shield Facility (WSF) and the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) satellites. The free-flying WSF created a super vacuum in its wake and grew thin film wafers for use insemiconductors and other high-tech electrical components. The ORFEUS instruments, mounted on the reusableShuttle Pallet Satellite, studied the origin and makeup of stars. In completing his second space flight, Rominger orbited the Earth a record 278 times, traveled over 7 million miles and logged 17 days, 15 hours and 53 minutes in space.
STS-85 inSpace ShuttleDiscovery (August 7–19, 1997) was a 12-day mission during which the crew deployed and retrieved theCRISTA-SPAS satellite, operated the Japanese Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD) robotic arm, studied changes in theEarth's atmosphere and tested technology destined for use on the futureInternational Space Station. The mission was accomplished in 189 Earth orbits, traveling 4.7 million miles in 11 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes.[3]
STS-96, also inDiscovery, (May 27 to June 6, 1999) was a 10-day mission during which the crew delivered 4 tons of logistics and supplies to the International Space Station in preparation for the arrival of the first crew to live on the station. The mission included the first docking of a Space Shuttle to the International Space Station and was accomplished in 153 Earth orbits, traveling 4 million miles in 9 days, 19 hours and 13 minutes.[3]
STS-100, inSpace ShuttleEndeavour (April 19 to May 1, 2001) was a 12-day mission during which the crew installed the Canadian-built Robotic Arm and the Rafaello Logistics Module to the International Space Station.Endeavour was docked 8-days on the most complex robotics flight in the history of the Space Shuttle program and was made up of a very diverse international crew, representing the United States, Russia, Canada and Italy. The mission was completed in 187 Earth orbits, traveling 4.9 million miles in 11 days, 21 hours and 30 minutes.[3]
He is a member of theAssociation of Space Explorers, theSociety of Experimental Test Pilots, theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, theAssociation of Naval Aviation,The Mars Generation, and theChi Epsilon Civil Engineering Society.
He has been awarded theDefense Superior Service Medal, theDistinguished Flying Cross, theDefense Meritorious Service Medal and theNASA Distinguished Service Medal. He is a Distinguished Graduate of theU.S. Naval Test Pilot School and was theNaval Air Test Center Test Pilot of the Year in 1988. He received the Society of Experimental Test PilotsRay E. Tenhoff Award in 1990, theJack Northrop Award in 1996, and the Colorado State University Distinguished Service Award in 1997. He was named West Coast Tomcat Fighter Pilot of the Year in 1992 and was listed in the Top Ten Carrier Landing Distinction in Airwings Two and Nine. In 2000 he was nominated and inducted into theColorado Aviation Hall of Fame.[4] He is an inductee into theUnited States Astronaut Hall of Fame.[5]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration."KENT V. ROMINGER (CAPTAIN, USN, RET.), NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)"(PDF). NASA. October 2006. RetrievedMay 15, 2021.| Preceded by | Chief of the Astronaut Office 2002–2006 | Succeeded by |
NASA Astronaut Group 13 ← NASA Astronaut Group 14 →NASA Astronaut Group 15 | |||||||
| Pilots | |||||||
| Mission specialists | |||||||
| International mission specialists |
| ||||||
| |||||||
