ONEOFMANYFEATHERS'
First American Indian Astronaut
John Bennett Herrington
(Commander, USN) NASA Astronaut
"I think a lot of people need to realize that you can fall down, but you have to get back up and keep running." "You just have to keep trying."
Herrington was born September 14, 1958 in Wetumka, Oklahoma. John is a member of the Chickasaw tribe. His father taught him to fly an airplane when he was four years old. At home, he played in a cardboard box and pretended it was a space ship. He grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Riverton, Wyoming, and Plano, Texas. By the time he was a senior in high school he had moved 14 times. At different schools he never got a chance to know his teachers.
He is married to the former Debra Ann Farmer of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and they have two children. His hobbies include rock climbing, snow skiing, running, and cycling. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Herrington, reside in Spicewood, Texas. His brother, James E. Herrington, Jr., resides in Sandy Spring, Maryland. His sister, Jennifer D. Monshaugen, resides in Spicewood, Texas.
He graduated from Plano Senior High School, Plano, Texas, in 1976. In 1983 he received a bachelor of science degree in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. In 1995, he recieved a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
Some of the organizations he belongs to are: Life member of the Association of Naval Aviation, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Alumni Association. Sequoyah Fellow, American Indian Science and Engineering Society.
Herrington received his commission from Aviation Officer Candidate School in March 1984 and was designated a Naval Aviator in March 1985. He reported to Patrol Squadron Thirty-One (VP-31) at the Moffett Field Naval Air Station, Mountain View, California for initial training in the P-3C Orion.
His first operational assignment was with Patrol Squadron Forty-Eight (VP-48) where he made three operational deployments, two to the Northern Pacific based from Naval Air Station Adak, Alaska and one to the Western Pacific based from the Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Republic of the Philippines. While assigned to VP-48, Herrington was designated a Patrol Plane Commander, Mission Commander, and Patrol Plane Instructor Pilot.
Following completion of his first operational tour, Herrington then returned to VP-31 as a Fleet Replacement Squadron Instructor Pilot. While assigned to VP-31 he was selected to attend the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland in January 1990. After graduation in December, 1990, he reported to the Force Warfare Aircraft Test Directorate as a project test pilot for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System. Herrington conducted additional flight test assignments flying numerous variants of the P-3 Orion as well as the T-34C and the DeHavilland Dash 7.
Following his selection as an Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officer, Herrington reported to the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School where he completed a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering in June 1995. Herrington was assigned as a special projects officer to the Bureau of Naval Personnel Sea Duty Component when selected for the astronaut program.
He has logged over 3,000 flight hours in over 30 different types of aircraft.
Selected by NASA in April 1996, Herrington reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. Having completed two years of training and evaluation, he is qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. Initially, Herrington was assigned to the Flight Support Branch of the Astronaut Office where he served as a member of the Astronaut Support Personnel team responsible for Shuttle launch preparations and post-landing operations. Currently, he is assigned to STS-113 scheduled to launch in 2002.
Special Honors
Distinguished Naval Graduate from Aviation Officer Candidate School, Pensacola, Florida, in 1984. Awarded Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation, Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon, National Defense Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbons (3), and various other service awards.
While out of school, Herrington tutored a retired Navy fighter pilot in math. The man, who Herrington said became a mentor to him, advised him to enlist. Another friend and mentor he met through his hobby of rock climbing advised him to return to school. He did both.
Story
The STS-113 crew poses for a photo on 195-foot level of the Fixed Service Structure on Launch Pad 39A. From left are Mission Specialist John Herrington, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Commander James Wetherbee and Mission Specialist Michael Lopez-Alegria
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Human Space Flight (HSF)-Orbital Tracking
For those with satellite dishes NTV is available on GE-2, Transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, vertical polarization, with a frequency of 3880 Mhz, and audio of 6.8 Mhz. This is a full transponder service and is operational 24 hours a day.
Mission audio is also available during crew working hours -- 1:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central Time (06:30 - 21:30 GMT) daily -- on GE-2, Transponder 13, with a frequency of 3960 Mhz.
Many cable television companies throughout the United States provide a channel for such coverage during missions. If you are unable to find NTV on your cable television system, you may want to contact your service provider.
blazes into space after an ontime liftoff at 7:49:47 p.m. EST. Saturday, Nov. 23, 2002
scheduled sts-113 spacewalks to perform work on the international space station.
scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA). The spacewalk lasted 6 hours, 10 minutes.
Astronauts Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (top) and John B. Herrington(Bottom), STS-113 mission specialists, work on the newly installed Port One (P1) truss on the International Space Station (ISS) during the mission’s second scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA). The spacewalk lasted 6 hours, 10 minutes. The end effector of the Canadarm2 / Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and Earth’s horizon are visible in bottom frame.
Space flight experience: STS-113 Endeavour (November 23-Dec 7, 2002) was the sixteenth Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station. Mission accomplishments included the delivery of the Expedition-Six crew, the delivery, installation and activation of the P1 Truss, and the transfer of cargo from Shuttle to the Station. During the mission Herrington performed three EVAs totaling 19 hours and 55 minutes. STS-113 brought home the Expedition-Five crew from their 6-month stay aboard the Station. Mission duration 13 days, 18 hours and 47 minutes.
On October 1, 2005, Commander Herrington retired from US Navy and left NASA to pursue a career in the commercial space industry. Currently, Herrington serves as a Special Advisor to the National Institute for Space, Science and Security Centers at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Also, he is Chairman of the Board for the American Indian Institute for Innovation (AIII) in Rapid City, SD. AIII is a 501(C) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the opportunities for Native American students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
NEEMO 6
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July 12-21, 2004
NASA Aquanaut Crew |
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