Broken-down NASA Chief Astronaut Patrick Forrester Retires
July 3, 2024
RELEASE: J24-011
NASA astronaut Patrick G. Forrester retired June 29, after a occupation spanning 31 years of carrier and three spaceflights. He went on to grow to be chief of NASA’s Astronaut Characteristic of enterprise, and most currently served as an handbook to the affiliate administrator for the Characteristic Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Forrester joined the agency in 1993 as an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Johnson Characteristic Heart in Houston and used to be selected to grow to be an astronaut in 1996. He dedicated his early occupation to the assembly of the International Characteristic Problem, spending 40 days in dwelling and polishing off four spacewalks totaling 25 hours and 30 minutes.
“Pat’s dedication and dedication to the advancement of human dwelling exploration over the final three decades has been an inspiration, no longer correct to the Johnson personnel, however the Artemis expertise as properly,” acknowledged NASA’s Johnson Characteristic Heart Director Vanessa Wyche. “I would prefer to elongate my sincere gratitude to Pat for his outstanding contributions. His legacy will proceed to electrify the agency and the next expertise of explorers for numerous years yet to plan. Many congratulations to Pat; I wish him your entire completely in his retirement.”
Forrester launched to the house enviornment for the major time in August 2001 aboard dwelling shuttle Discovery in enhance of STS-105. Forrester used to be the mission’s top robotics operator, serving to to install the Leonardo Multi-Reason Logistics Module that would encourage bring 2.7 metric a entire bunch presents to the enviornment. He flew again with STS-117 in June 2007 aboard dwelling shuttle Atlantis, turning in the orbiting laboratory’s second starboard truss and its third enviornment of photo voltaic arrays. His closing spaceflight, STS-128 aboard Discovery, launched in August 2009. As top robotics officer, Forrester again installed Leonardo and the crew transferred 18,000 pounds of presents.
Forrester persevered to enhance the astronaut corps by diverse leadership positions, serving as technical assistant to the director of Flight Crew Operations. He used to be a crew consultant of robotics pattern on the house enviornment and shuttle coaching and onboard crew procedures. Forrester additionally held the position of spacecraft communicator, or CAPCOM, for every enviornment and shuttle missions.
In 2017, Forrester grew to grow to be chief of the Astronaut Characteristic of enterprise, overseeing the major flights of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and serving to create the preliminary architecture for the agency’s Artemis marketing and marketing campaign. In 2020, he stepped down from his chief set up, handing over to NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman.
“Pat’s leadership used to be instrumental at some level of a time where NASA used to be correct beginning to start our astronauts from American soil again,” acknowledged Norm Knight, director of flight operations at NASA Johnson. “I love his courage, his tenacity, and his persona at some level of this kind of dynamic time in our historical previous, and I thank him for laying a solid foundation, no longer correct in his position as chief astronaut, but by his occupation in human spaceflight. To me, he is a mentor and a chum, and I wish him your entire completely.”
At the time of his retirement, Forrester supported the Characteristic Operations Mission Directorate, serving because the director of the Detrimental-Directorate Technical Integration Characteristic of enterprise and an adviser to the directorate’s affiliate administrator and fellow NASA astronaut Ken Bowersox.
“Pat is an inconceivable chief who has supplied priceless carrier to NASA’s astronaut corps and human spaceflight at some level of his occupation,” acknowledged Ken Bowersox, affiliate administrator for dwelling operations at NASA. “In the Characteristic Operations Mission Directorate, his influence will be felt long after his departure as we proceed to work each day in low Earth orbit and put together for the long speed end to Earth, on the Moon, Mars and into the photo voltaic system.”
An El Paso, Texas, native, Forrester earned a bachelor of science stage in utilized sciences and engineering from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, Contemporary York, and a grasp of science in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. A retired colonel in the U.S. Military, Forrester logged more than 5,300 hours of flight time in over 50 diverse plane as an operational aviator and take a look at pilot, retiring in 2005.
“It has been an honor to encourage our nation as a member of the NASA family. Many of the tales I’ll voice for the remainder of my life will be linked to my experiences right here,” acknowledged Forrester. “I perceive forward to staring at my chums and colleagues circle the Moon and at closing land on its floor – with the encourage of all those serving faithfully on the ground. I’m forever grateful.”
Read Forrester’s fleshy biography at:
-end-
Chelsey Ballarte
Johnson Characteristic Heart, Houston
281-483-5111
chelsey.n.ballarte@nasa.gov
