20 Facts About Gregory Chamitoff

Gregory Errol Chamitoff was born on 6 August 1962 and is a Canadian-born American engineer and former NASA astronaut.

Gregory Chamitoff has been to space twice, spending 6 months aboard the ISS across Expedition 17 and 18 in 2008, and another 15 days as part of STS-134 in 2011.

Gregory Chamitoff was inspired to become an astronaut after watching the Apollo 11 Moon landing at the age of six.

Gregory Chamitoff developed a self-guided robot for his undergraduate thesis project.

Gregory Chamitoff performed stability analyses for the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope, designed flight control upgrades for the Space Shuttle autopilot, and worked on the attitude control system for Space Station Freedom.

From 1993 to 1995, Gregory Chamitoff was a visiting professor at the University of Sydney, Australia, where he led a research group in the development of autonomous flight vehicles, and taught courses in flight dynamics and control.

Gregory Chamitoff has published numerous papers on aircraft and spacecraft guidance and control, trajectory optimization, and Mars mission design.

In 1995, Gregory Chamitoff joined the Motion Control Systems Group in the Mission Operations Directorate at the Johnson Space Center, where he developed software applications for spacecraft attitude control monitoring, prediction, analysis, and maneuver optimization.

Gregory Chamitoff worked in the Space Station Robotics branch, was lead CAPCOM for ISS Expedition 9, acted as crew support astronaut for ISS Expedition 6, and helped develop onboard procedures and displays for Space Station system operations.

In July 2002, Gregory Chamitoff was a crew-member on the Aquarius undersea research habitat for 9 days as part of the NEEMO 3 mission.

Gregory Chamitoff served on a long-duration mission to the International Space Station.

Gregory Chamitoff launched as a mission specialist on board Space Shuttle mission STS-124.

Gregory Chamitoff was flight engineer 2 and science officer on Expedition 17.

Gregory Chamitoff returned home as a mission specialist on STS-126, completing a tour that lasted six months.

Gregory Chamitoff bought a velcro chess set and started playing games against mission control, which got quite competitive.

Gregory Chamitoff served as a mission specialist on STS-134, the penultimate Space Shuttle mission, during which he made two spacewalks, the last of which completed the construction of the ISS.

Gregory Chamitoff instructs senior design, human spaceflight operations, and dynamics and controls for aerospace vehicles.

Gregory Chamitoff has served as the Lawrence Hargrave Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Sydney, Australia.

Gregory Chamitoff is a certified divemaster and instrument rated pilot.

Gregory Chamitoff enjoys chess and has played games with people on earth while living in the ISS.