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Coleman, Catherine Grace 'Cady'

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Coleman Credit: www.spacefacts.de

Status: Inactive; active 1992-2015. Born: 1960-12-14. Spaceflights: 3 . Total time in space: 180.17 days. Birth Place: Charleston, South Carolina.

Educated MIT; Massachusetts.

NAME: Catherine G. "Cady" Coleman, Ph.D. (Major, USAF)

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA:

Born December 14, 1960, in Charleston, South Carolina. Enjoys flying, scuba diving, sports, music. As an undergraduate, she competed in intercollegiate athletics on MIT's crew team. Her father, James J. Coleman, resides in Vancouver, Washington. Her mother, Ann L. Doty, resides in Westerly, Rhode Island.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, Virginia, in 1978; received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983, and a doctorate in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts in 1991.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Member of the American Chemical Society, the Society for Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), the American Association of University Women, and the International Womens' Air and Space Museum.

EXPERIENCE:

Coleman was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force in 1983 and began graduate work at the University of Massachusetts. Her research focused on polymer synthesis using the olefin metathesis reaction, and polymer surface modification. In 1988, Coleman entered active duty and was assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. As a research chemist at the Materials Directorate of the Wright Laboratory, she synthesized model compounds to investigate the use of organic polymers for third-order nonlinear optical applications such as advanced computers and data storage. Coleman also acted as a surface analysis consultant for the Long Duration Exposure Facility (launched from STS 41-C in 1984 and retrieved during STS-32 in 1990). In addition to assigned duties, Coleman was a volunteer test subject for the centrifuge program at the Crew Systems Directorate of the Armstrong Aeromedical Laboratory. She set several endurance and tolerance records during her participation in physiological and new equipment studies.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Coleman was selected by NASA in March 1992 and reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992. Initially assigned to the Astronaut Office Mission Support Branch and detailed to flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory, Coleman subsequently served as the special assistant to the Center Director, Johnson Space Center. She trained as STS-83 backup mission specialist to Dr. Don Thomas when he suffered a broken right ankle following the conclusion of a routine training exercise. Presently, Coleman is assigned to the Astronaut Office Payloads and Habitability Branch. She works with experiment designers to insure that payloads can be operated successfully in the microgravity environment of low earth orbit, and is the lead astronaut for long term space flight habitability issues, such as accoustics and living accommodations aboard the International Space Station.

From October 20 to November 5, 1995, Coleman served as a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-73, the second United States Microgravity Laboratory mission. The mission focused on materials science, biotechnology, combustion science, the physics of fluids, and numerous scientific experiments housed in the pressurized Spacelab module. In completing her first space flight, Coleman orbited the Earth 256 times, traveled over 6 million miles, and logged a total of 15 days, 21 hours, 52 minutes and 21 seconds in space.

• Birth of Dr Catherine Grace 'Cady' Coleman - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Coleman, Catherine. American materials scientist mission specialist astronaut 1992-2015. US Air Force engineer. 3 spaceflights, 180.2 days in space..

• NASA Astronaut Training Group 14 selected. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Barry, Brady, Coleman, Catherine, Gernhardt, Grunsfeld, Horowitz, Jett, Kregel, Lawrence, Linenger, Linnehan, Lopez-Alegria, Parazynski, Rominger, Scott, Winston, Smith, Steven, Tanner, Thomas, Andrew, Weber, Mary.

  The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

  Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. Four pilots and 15 mission specialists, nine civilians and ten military. Chosen from 2054 applicants, 87 of which screened in December 1991/January 1992. Five additional international astronauts.

• STS-73 - . Call Sign: Columbia. Crew: Bowersox, Coleman, Catherine, Leslie, Lopez-Alegria, Rominger, Sacco, Thornton. Payload: Columbia F18 / Spacelab LM / EDO. Mass: 15,250 kg (33,620 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bowersox, Coleman, Catherine, Leslie, Lopez-Alegria, Rominger, Sacco, Thornton. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-73. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Duration: 15.91 days. Decay Date: 1995-11-05 . USAF Sat Cat: 23688 . COSPAR: 1995-056A. Apogee: 241 km (149 mi). Perigee: 241 km (149 mi). Inclination: 39.00 deg. Period: 89.70 min. Carried USML-2 for microgravity experiments (attached to Columbia). Payloads: United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML) 2, Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE)..

• Landing of STS-73 - . Return Crew: Bowersox, Coleman, Catherine, Leslie, Lopez-Alegria, Rominger, Sacco, Thornton. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bowersox, Coleman, Catherine, Leslie, Lopez-Alegria, Rominger, Sacco, Thornton. Program: Spacelab. Flight: STS-73. STS-73 landed at 11:46 GMT. .

• STS-83 - . Call Sign: Columbia. Crew: Crouch, Gernhardt, Halsell, Kilrain, Linteris, Thomas, Voss, Janice. Backup Crew: Coleman, Catherine. Payload: Columbia F22 / Spacelab LM Unit 1 / EDO. Mass: 115,900 kg (255,500 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-83. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Duration: 3.97 days. Decay Date: 1997-04-08 . USAF Sat Cat: 24755 . COSPAR: 1997-013A. Apogee: 302 km (187 mi). Perigee: 298 km (185 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 90.50 min.

  The launch of STS-83, the first Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) mission, was postponed for a day to replace some insulation around a water coolant line in Columbia's payload bay. Liftoff was further delayed 20 minutes due to anomalous oxygen readings in the orbiter's payload bay. STS-83 was cut short due to a problem with one of the three fuel cells that provide electricity and water to Columbia (flight rules required that all three must be operating). At 14:30 GMT on April 6 the crew were ordered to begin a Minimum Duration Flight (MDF). On April 8 the OMS engines ignited at 17:30 GMT for the deorbit burn, and Columbia landed on Runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center at 18:33 GMT.

  With delays in International Space Station construction leaving ample room in the shuttle schedule, NASA made the unique decision to leave the equipment installed in Columbia and refly this mission with the same crew later in 1997 as STS-94.

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 01 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Jett, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93.

  The Space Shuttle Columbia blasted off late Thursday night (early Friday morning, Eastern time) to carry five astronauts to orbit for the long-awaited deployment of Chandra X-Ray Observatory, which will unveil previously invisible mysteries of the universe. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 03 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93.

  Chandra was deployed from Columbia a little more than seven hours into the flight at 6:47 a.m. CDT. Thanks to a pair of burns by its inertial upper stage (IUS), the third of NASA's four great observatories is now on its way to an elliptical orbit that will support five years of observations into the X-ray mysteries of the universe. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 - . Call Sign: Columbia. Crew: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Payload: Columbia F26 / Chandra. Mass: 115,900 kg (255,500 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Agency: NASA Houston. Manufacturer: North American. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-93. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Duration: 4.95 days. Decay Date: 1999-07-28 . USAF Sat Cat: 25866 . COSPAR: 1999-040A. Apogee: 280 km (170 mi). Perigee: 260 km (160 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 89.90 min.

  STS-93 was first rolled out to pad 39B on June 7 1999. The Chandra/IUS-27 vehicle was placed in the payload canister on June 19. The first launch attempt was on July 20, but controllers aborted the launch at T-6 seconds, just before main engine ignition, due to a data spike in hydrogen pressure data. This was determined to be due to a faulty sensor and a second attempt was on July 22. A lightning storm prevented launch during the 46 minute window, and the launch was again scrubbed. Finally the vehicle lifted off the pad on July 23, but five seconds after launch a short in an electrical bus brought down two of the three main engine controllers. Backup controllers took over, but a further failure on the backup controller bus would have resulted in engine shutdown and the first ever attempt at an RTLS (Return To Launch Site) abort. To further complicate matters engine 3 (SSME 2019) had a hydrogen leak throughout the ascent, causing the engine to run hot. Controllers sweated as temperatures neared redline. The hot engine's controller compensated as programmed by using additional liquid oxygen propellant. The final result was that the shuttle ran out of gas - main engine cut-off (MECO) was at 04:39 GMT, putting Columbia into a 78 km x 276 km x 28.5 degree transfer orbit. Columbia was 1,700 kg short of oxygen propellant and 5 meters/sec slower than planned. The OMS-2 engine burn at 05:12 GMT circularised the orbit 10 km lower than planned.

  The orbiter payload bay contained only the Chandra spacecraft, the IUS, and the IUS tilt tableTthe following payloads were carried in the shuttle's cabin: STL-B (Space Tissue Loss), CCM (Cell culture module), SAREX-II (Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment), EarthKam, PGIM (Plant Growth Investigations in Microgravity), CGBA (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus), MEMS (Micro-electric Mechanical System), and BRIC (Biological Research in Canisters) and SWUIS (the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System, an 0.18-m UV telescope to be used for airglow and planetary observations); GOSAMR (the Gelation of Sols: Applied Microgravity Research experiment) and LFSAH, the Lightweight Flexible Solar Array Hinge. MSX and SIMPLEX experiments were also to be carried out.

  Chandra/IUS-27 was deployed from Columbia at 11:47 GMT July 23. Flight duration was limited; this was the heaviest shuttle (122,534 kg) and heaviest payload (19,736 kg) to that date. Columbia landed at 03:20 GMT on July 28 on runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center. Post-flight inspection found the presence of holes in the cooling lines on the nozzle of SSME 2019 (engine 3) which caused a hydrogen leak. A loose repair pin in the engine broke free and caused the failure. The cause of the short was found to be chaffed wiring inside the shuttle. The entire fleet was grounded for inspection and replacement of wiring as necessary.

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 05 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93. Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jeff Ashby and Mission Specialists Cady Coleman, Steve Hawley and Michel Tognini were awakened at 5:31 p.m. CDT with the song "Brave New Girls," performed by Teresa.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 04 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93.

  Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jeff Ashby and Mission Specialists Cady Coleman, Steve Hawley and Michel Tognini worked on experiments involving everything from astronomy to biomedicine to plant growth as the shuttle continued to orbit the Earth every 90 minutes in excellent shape. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 06 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93.

  Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jeff Ashby and Mission Specialists Cady Coleman, Steve Hawley and Michel Tognini conducted experiments ranging from astronomical observations with an ultraviolet telescope to cell culture studies. Investigations also included testing new materials which may one day be used to fabricate sturdier solar arrays. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 07 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93. The five astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia began their fourth flight day at 4:31 p.m. CDT, preparing to make additional celestial observations through the shuttle's windows and continue work with a variety of experiments.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93. Columbia's astronauts entered the homestretch of their mission this morning, conducting additional experiments in the Shuttle's middeck area as they began preparations for their scheduled return to Earth late Tuesday night.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 09 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93. Columbia's crew began packing up experiments today and preparing to return to Earth tomorrow with a touchdown planned on the Kennedy Space Center's shuttle runway in Florida at 10:20 p.m. CDT.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 10 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Ross, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93. Columbia's astronauts tested their ship's systems and packed up their gear, ready for a nighttime homecoming late tonight at the Kennedy Space Center to wrap up their five-day mission.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 11 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Barry, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Ross, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93.

  Columbia's astronauts made final preparations Tuesday evening to come home after a successful five-day flight. Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jeff Ashby and Mission Specialists Cady Coleman, Steve Hawley and Michel Tognini were awakened at 2:31 p.m. CDT Tuesday to "A Little Traveling Music" by Barry Manilow, requested by Hawley's wife Eileen, and "The Air Force Song," played for Collins and Coleman. Additional Details: here....

• STS-93 Mission Status Report # 12 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93. Columbia's astronauts glided to a smooth landing tonight at the Kennedy Space Center, wrapping up their five-day mission to deploy the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.. Additional Details: here....

• Landing of STS-93 - . Return Crew: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Ashby, Coleman, Catherine, Collins, Eileen, Hawley, Tognini. Program: STS. Flight: STS-93. STS-93 landed at 03:17 GMT. .

• Soyuz TMA-19 - . Call Sign: Olympus. Crew: Walker, Shannon, Wheelock, Yurchikhin. Backup Crew: Coleman, Catherine, Kondratiyev, Nespoli. Payload: Soyuz 7K-STMA s/n 229. Mass: 7,200 kg (15,800 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-19. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Duration: 163.30 days. Decay Date: 2010-11-26 . USAF Sat Cat: 36603 . COSPAR: 2010-029A. Apogee: 361 km (224 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.60 min.

  ISS EO-24 crew. The return to earth was reported advanced four days to avoid coinciding with an OSCE conference in Kazakhstan. The crew undocked from the Rassvet module of the ISS at 01:23 GMT on 26 November 2010. There was a leak in the descent module, but ground controllers concluded the return to earth could be conducted safely. The Soyuz made its deorbit burn at 03:55 GMT and landed safely in Kazakhstan at 04:46 GMT.

• Soyuz TMA-20 - . Call Sign: Varyag. Crew: Coleman, Catherine, Kondratiyev, Nespoli. Backup Crew: Fossum, Furukawa, Ivanishin. Payload: Soyuz 7K-STMA s/n 230. Mass: 7,200 kg (15,800 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-20. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Duration: 159.30 days. Decay Date: 2011-05-24 . USAF Sat Cat: 37254 . COSPAR: 2010-067A. Apogee: 355 km (220 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.60 min.

  ISS EO-26 crew. Docked at the Rassvet module of the ISS at 20:11 GMT on 17 December. The crew boarded Soyuz TMA-20 and undocked at 21:35 GMT on 23 May 2011. They pulled back 200 m from the station, then took comprehensive photography of the station until 22:17 as it rotated before them. After departure from the visinity of the station, the Soyuz fired its engines at 01:36 GMT on 24 May to start the descent into the atmosphere. The orbital module and service modules separated from the descent module at 02:01 GMT. The crew landed safely in Kazakhstan at 02:27 GMT.