Col. Eric Boe heads for a shuttle training aircraft to practice landings on the Shuttle Landing Facility's runway Nov. 11 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He is the STS-126 pilot and is a Civil Air Patrol member. (NASA photo/Kim Shiflett)
Posted on 11/13/2008 3:41:05 PM PST by SandRat
11/13/2008 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) -- An Air Force colonel who is a senior member of the Civil Air Patrol is scheduled to pilot the Space Shuttle Endeavour for mission STS-126 when it takes off Nov. 14 at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Col. Eric Boe, a NASA astronaut, will fly the shuttle in his first voyage into space as Endeavour supports the International Space Station.
Endeavor will dock with the space station and deliver supplies to support its expanding needs, including a multipurpose logistics module.
"I'm very excited to go into space and get the opportunity to represent the nation," Colonel Boe said. "It's a great opportunity to see what it's like to go into space."
A former Georgia Wing cadet and current Florida Wing member, Colonel Boe said his involvement with CAP as a young man helped him achieve his career goals of becoming a fighter pilot and an astronaut. Colonel Boe, who soloed at age 16 at a flight encampment conducted by the Georgia Wing, credited his cadet experience for solidifying his desire to fly.
"That was my first real opportunity to fly an airplane by myself," he said. "CAP gave me that opportunity, and it really made a difference in the long term. It's always nice to have flown before you show up at pilot training."
Col. Eric Boe heads for a shuttle training aircraft to practice landings on the Shuttle Landing Facility's runway Nov. 11 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He is the STS-126 pilot and is a Civil Air Patrol member. (NASA photo/Kim Shiflett)
bttt
Need a LIVE Shuttle Launch thread. This thread would do if it says LIVE in the headline.
Need a LIVE Shuttle Launch thread. This thread would do if it says LIVE in the headline.
ping
I say again:
1505 GMT (10:05 a.m. EST)
Space shuttle Endeavour’s fuel cell storage tanks were successfully filled with the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants overnight as standard work continues at pad 39A for Friday’s scheduled 7:55 p.m. EST liftoff.
spaceflightnow.com
We just came back from our CAP meeting. They discussed Col. Boe tonight.
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