Christopher J. Cassidy
From The Space Library
| Image:Cassidy.jpg Christopher J. Cassidy | |
| Birth Name | Christopher J. Cassidy |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | Jan 4 1970 |
| Occupation | NASA Astronaut, (Commander, USN) |
Contents |
Personal Data
Born January 4, 1970 in Salem, Massachusetts. Considers York, Maine, to be his hometown. Married. He and his wife, Julie, are the proud parents of three children.
Education
York High School, York, Maine, Naval Academy Prep School, Newport, Rhode Island, 1989, B.S., Mathematics, U.S. Naval Academy, 1993, M.S., Ocean Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000.
Experience
Ten years as a member of the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams. Specialized tactics include long range special reconnaissance (vehicular and foot patrols), direct action building assaults, non-compliant ship-boardings, desert reconnaissance patrols, combat diving, underwater explosives, and a variety of air operations, to include parachuting, fast roping, and rappelling. He made four six-month deployments: two to Afghanistan, and two to the Mediterranean. Cassidy served as Executive Officer and Operations Officer of Special Boat Team Twenty in Norfolk, Virginia, and SEAL Platoon Commander at SEAL Team THREE in Coronado, California. He deployed to the Afghanistan region two weeks after 9/11/01. He served as Ground Assault Force Commander for international and U.S. only combat missions in Afghanistan. Led two months of non-compliant ship-boardings in the Northern Arabian Gulf. Was SEAL Delivery Vehicle Platoon Commander at SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team TWO in Norfolk, VA. He accumulated over 200 hours underwater as Pilot / Navigator / Mission Commander of a 2-man flooded submersible (SDV), which is launched and recovered from a host-ship submarine. He also served as Dry Deck Shelter Platoon Commander at SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team TWO in Norfolk, VA Cassidy volunteered for and completed a week-long, 180-mile charity kayak paddle from Norfolk, VA to Washington, D.C. to raise money and awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
Spaceflight Experience
NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in May 2004. In February 2006, he completed Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Completion of this initial training qualified him for various technical assignments within the Astronaut Office and future flight assignment as a mission specialist. From 2006 to 2008 he served as CAPCOM in Mission Control. In July 2009, Cassidy completed his first space flight and logged more than 376 hours in space, including 18 hours and 5 minutes of EVA in three spacewalks. Cassidy has been assigned to the Expedition 35 crew as a flight engineer and is scheduled to fly to the ISS aboard Soyuz 34 in late March 2013. STS-127, ISS Assembly Mission 2J/A, Endeavour (July 15-31, 2009) delivered the Japanese-built Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) and the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section (ELM-ES) to the International Space Station. The crew completed the construction of the KIBO Japanese Experiment Module, installed scientific experiments on its Exposed Facility and delivered critical spare parts and replacement batteries to the orbital complex, in addition to transferring 24,638 pounds of hardware and 1,225 pounds of water to the station. While the Shuttle was docked to the station, the mission featured a record 13 astronauts working aboard the Station representing all five ISS partners -- NASA, the Russian Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency and the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA). Cassidy performed three spacewalks for a total of 18 hours and 5 minutes of EVA. The mission was accomplished in 248 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6,547,853 million miles in 15 days, 16 hours, 44 minutes and 58 seconds.
Special Honours
Honor graduate of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Class 192. Awarded the Bronze Star with combat 'V' and Presidential Unit Citation for leading a 9-day operation at the Zharwar Kili cave complex - a national priority objective directly on the Afghan/Pakistan border. Quest speaker at the USNA Combat Leadership Seminar (2003 & 2004). Awarded a second Bronze Star for combat leadership service in Afghanistan in 2004. Recipient of NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal.
Other Information
Mar-11
