Retired NASA Astronaut to visit CSU

The community is invited to attend a presentation by retired NASA Astronaut Dr. Don Thomas on Friday, August 31 at 3 p.m. at Charleston Southern University’s Whitfield Center for Christian Leadership, Room 110. He will share his experience as a veteran of four Space Shuttle flights and will discuss NASA’s newest rocket, the Space Launch System, and future missions planned by NASA such as sending astronauts to Mars.

Thomas retired from NASA in July 2007 and now supports the Space Launch System program. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he graduated from Cleveland Heights High School and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Case Western Reserve University, as well as a Master of Science and Doctorate in Materials Science from Cornell University. 

Selected by NASA in January 1990, Thomas became an astronaut in July 1991. He was CAPCOM (spacecraft communicator) for shuttle missions STS-47, 52 and 53. From July 1999 to June 2000, he was Director of Operations for NASA at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Thomas logged over 1,040 hours in space on the following missions: STS-65 Columbia, 70 Discovery, 83 Columbia and 94 Columbia.

Related Stories