Catherine Coleman Autographed Photo
Catherine Grace "Cady" Coleman (born December 14, 1960) is an American chemist, a former United States Air Force officer, and a current NASA astronaut. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Doctorate in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Coleman joined the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant, and entered active duty in 1988 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a research chemist. During her work she participated as a surface analysis consultant on the NASA Long Duration Exposure Facility experiment.
Coleman was selected by NASA in 1992 to join the NASA Astronaut Corps. In 1995 she was a member of the STS-73 crew on Space Shuttle Columbia on the scientific mission USML-1 with experiments including biotechnology, combustion science and the physics of fluids. Mission STS-93, again on Space Shuttle Columbia, was Coleman's second space flight in 1999. She was mission specialist in charge of deploying the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its Inertial Upper Stage out of the shuttle's cargo bay.
Coleman served as Chief of Robotics for the Astronaut Office, to include robotic arm operations and training for all Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions. In October 2004, Coleman served as an aquanaut during the NEEMO 7 mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, living and working underwater for eleven days.
Coleman launched on December 15, 2010, aboard Soyuz TMA-20 to as a member of Expedition 26/27, an extended duration mission aboard the International Space Station. She departed the International Space Station on May 23, 2011 after logging 159 days in space.
Coleman joined the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant, and entered active duty in 1988 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a research chemist. During her work she participated as a surface analysis consultant on the NASA Long Duration Exposure Facility experiment.
Coleman was selected by NASA in 1992 to join the NASA Astronaut Corps. In 1995 she was a member of the STS-73 crew on Space Shuttle Columbia on the scientific mission USML-1 with experiments including biotechnology, combustion science and the physics of fluids. Mission STS-93, again on Space Shuttle Columbia, was Coleman's second space flight in 1999. She was mission specialist in charge of deploying the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its Inertial Upper Stage out of the shuttle's cargo bay.
Coleman served as Chief of Robotics for the Astronaut Office, to include robotic arm operations and training for all Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions. In October 2004, Coleman served as an aquanaut during the NEEMO 7 mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, living and working underwater for eleven days.
Coleman launched on December 15, 2010, aboard Soyuz TMA-20 to as a member of Expedition 26/27, an extended duration mission aboard the International Space Station. She departed the International Space Station on May 23, 2011 after logging 159 days in space.
Photograph in collection bears the inscription “To Maksim!” and is autographed by Catherine Coleman. I had the opportunity to meet her at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.