18 Facts About Catherine Coleman

Catherine Coleman is a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions, and departed the International Space Station on May 23,2011, as a crew member of Expedition 27 after logging 159 days in space.

Catherine Coleman was advised by Professor Thomas J McCarthy on her doctorate.

Catherine Coleman continued to pursue her PhD at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as a second lieutenant.

Catherine Coleman retired from the Air Force in November 2009 as a colonel.

Catherine Coleman was selected by NASA in 1992 to join the NASA Astronaut Corps.

Catherine Coleman was mission specialist in charge of deploying the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its Inertial Upper Stage out of the shuttle's cargo bay.

Catherine 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, Catherine Coleman served as an aquanaut during the NEEMO 7 mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, living and working underwater for eleven days.

Catherine Coleman was assigned as a backup US crew member for Expeditions 19,20 and 21 and served as a backup crew member for Expeditions 24 and 25 as part of her training for Expedition 26.

Catherine Coleman launched on December 15,2010, aboard Soyuz TMA-20 to join the Expedition 26 mission aboard the International Space Station.

In completing her first space flight, Catherine Coleman orbited the Earth 256 times, traveled over 6 million miles, and logged a total of 15 days, 21 hours, 52 minutes and 21 seconds in space.

STS-93 on Columbia was a five-day mission during which Catherine Coleman was the lead mission specialist for the deployment of the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Catherine Coleman is married to glass artist Josh Simpson who lives in Massachusetts.

Catherine Coleman is part of the band Bandella, which includes fellow NASA astronaut Stephen Robinson, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, and Micki Pettit.

Catherine Coleman is a flute player and has taken several flutes with her to the ISS, including a pennywhistle from Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains, an old Irish flute from Matt Molloy of The Chieftains, and a flute from Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.

Catherine Coleman first recorded her part, which later on Anderson joined while on tour in Perm.

On May 13 of that year, Catherine Coleman delivered a taped commencement address to the class of 2011 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

In 2019 the Irish postal service An Post issued a set of commemorative stamps for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landings, Catherine Coleman is featured alongside fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Eileen Collins.