Spaceflight Now: STS-92 Mission Report

The STS-92 crew
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Updated: September 23, 2000

Crew
The STS-92 crew: (front) Melroy and Duffy; (back) Chiao; Lopez-Alegria; McArthur; Wisoff and Wakata. Photo: NASA
 
Crew thumbnails

Commander: Air Force Col. Brian Duffy, 47
Duffy has logged nearly a full month in space during three shuttle flights - STS-45, STS-57 and STS-72 - and more than 5,000 hours flying time in a variety of high-performance jet aircraft. Married and the father of two children, Duffy lists his hobbies as golf, running and reading. He holds a master's degree in systems management and was a distinguished graduate of Air Force Test Pilot School, concentrating in F-15 jet fighters. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Duffy was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1986.

Pilot: Air Force Lt. Col. Pamela Ann Melroy, 39
A theater buff who enjoys tap and jazz dancing, Melroy is only the third woman to serve as pilot of a space shuttle. She began her flying career piloting KC-10 jet tankers and is a veteran of more than 200 combat and combat support hours in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1991, she graduated from Air Force Test Pilot School and flew C-17 jet transports until her selection as an astronaut in 1994. Melroy is married and has logged more than 4,000 hours flying time. STS-92 is her first space flight.

MS-1/EV-1: Leroy Chiao, Ph.D., 40
Listed in "Who's Who in Science and Engineering," Chiao holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of California-Santa Barbara. He is an expert in materials science and is an instrument-rated pilot with more than 1,500 hours flying time. He is single and lists his hobbies as flying, racquetball and skiing. He is a veteran of two previous shuttle flights - STS-65 and STS-72 - and two spacewalks. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1990, Chiao has logged 23 days in space.

MS-2/flight engineer/EV-2: Army Col. William McArthur Jr., 49
A West Point graduate, McArthur is an Army aviator, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test pilot School and an expert skydiver with more than 4,000 hours flying time in 37 different types of aircraft. After serving as an engineer at the Johnson Space Center, McArthur was selected as an astronaut in 1990. He is married, has two daughters and lists his hobbies as basketball, running and personal computers. He is a veteran of two shuttle flights - STS-58 and STS-74 - and has logged more than 22 days in space.

MS-3/EV-3: Peter "Jeff" Wisoff, Ph.D., 42
An expert on lasers and their medical applications, Wisoff holds a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University. He became an astronaut in 1991 and has completed three shuttle missions: STS-57, STS-68 and STS-81. He has logged more than 31 days in orbit and completed one six-hour spacewalk. Wisoff also visited the Russian Mir space station. He is married and enjoys scuba diving, racquetball and swimming.

MS-4/EV-4: Navy Cmdr. Michael Lopez-Alegria, 42
Born in Madrid, Lopez-Alegria is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who holds a master's in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He flew electronic reconnaissance aircraft before being assigned to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, logging more than 4,000 hours flying time in more than 30 different aircraft. Selected by NASA in 1992, Lopez-Alegria spent 16 days in space during shuttle mission STS-73. He is married with one son. He lists his hobbies as sports, traveling and cooking.

MS-5/RMS: Koichi Wakata (Japan), 37
Wakata began his career as a structural engineer with Japan Airlines. Along the way, he became a multi-engine/instrument-rated pilot with more than 1,100 hours flying time. He was selected as an astronaut candidate by the National Space Development Agency of Japan in 1992 and reported to the Johnson Space Center for training. Married and the father of one son, Wakata is a veteran of shuttle mission STS-72, logging nine days in space and completing two spacewalks. He lists his hobbies as flying, hang-gliding, baseball, tennis and skiing.

Crew at a glance

At a glance