Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z

---

Higginbotham, Joan Elizabeth Miller

---

Higginbotham Credit: www.spacefacts.de

Status: Inactive; Active 1996-2007. Born: 1964-08-03. Spaceflights: 1 . Total time in space: 12.86 days. Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois.

Educated Southern Illinois; FIT.

Official NASA Biography as of June 2016:Joan E. Higginbotham
NASA Astronaut (former)

PERSONAL DATA: Born in Chicago, Illinois. She enjoys body building (weightlifting), cycling, music, motivational speaking.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Chicago, Illinois, in 1982; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in 1987, a Masters of Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1992, and a Masters in Space Systems from Florida Institute of Technology in 1996.

ORGANIZATIONS: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Gulf Coast Apollo Chapter of the Links, Inc., Association of Space Explorers ( ASE), and Sickle Cell Association of the Texas Gulf Coast, Board Member.

AWARDS: NASA Exceptional Service Medal; Keys to the Cities of Cocoa and Rockledge, Florida; Group Achievement Award for STS-26 Return to Flight; Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Certificate of Appreciation for Service; Commendation of Merit for Service to the Department of Defense (DOD) Missions; Presidential Sports Award in bicycling and weight training; Outstanding Woman of the Year Award; Outstanding Performance 1992, 1993, 1995; National Technical Association’s 50 Distinguished Scientists and Engineers; Florida Institute of Technology’s Distinguished Alumni for 1997; Southern Illinois University’s Distinguished Alumni; Essence Magazine’s Top 50 Women of 2004; National Technical Association’s 2007 Technical Achiever (Engineer); League of Black Women Black Rose Award Recipient 2007; Women of Color in Technology Career Achievement Award Recipient 2007.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Joan Higginbotham began her career in 1987 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, as a Payload Electrical Engineer in the Electrical and Telecommunications Systems Division. Within six months she became the lead for the Orbiter Experiments (OEX) on OV-102, the Space Shuttle Columbia. She later worked on the Shuttle payload bay reconfiguration for all Shuttle missions and conducted electrical compatibility tests for all payloads flown aboard the Shuttle. She was also tasked by KSC management to undertake several special assignments where she served as the Executive Staff Assistant to the Director of Shuttle Operations and Management, led a team of engineers in performing critical analysis for the Space Shuttle flow in support of a simulation model tool, and worked on an interactive display detailing the Space Shuttle processing procedures at Spaceport USA (Kennedy Space Center’s Visitors Center). Higginbotham then served as backup orbiter project engineer for OV-104, Space Shuttle Atlantis, where she participated in the integration of the orbiter docking station (ODS) into the space shuttle used during Shuttle/Mir docking missions. Two years later, she was promoted to lead orbiter project engineer for OV-102, Space Shuttle Columbia. In this position, she held the technical lead government engineering position in the firing room where she supported and managed the integration of vehicle testing and troubleshooting. She actively participated in 53 space shuttle launches during her 9-year tenure at Kennedy Space Center.

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in April 1996, Joan Higginbotham reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. Since that time, she had been assigned technical duties in the Payloads & Habitability Branch, the Shuttle Avionics & Integration Laboratory (SAIL), the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Operations (Ops) Support Branch, where she tested various modules of the International Space Station for operability, compatibility, and functionality prior to launch, the Astronaut Office CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) Branch in the startup and support of numerous space station missions and space shuttle missions, the Robotics Branch, and Lead for the International Space Station Systems Crew Interfaces Section. Joan has logged over 308 hours in space having completed her first mission with the crew of STS-116 where her primary task was to operate the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS).

Joan Higginbotham was assigned to the STS-126 mission targeted for launch in September, 2008. In November 2007, Joan Higginbotham retired from NASA in order to pursue a career in the private sector.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-116 Discovery (December 9-22, 2006). The seven-member crew on this 12-day mission continued construction of the ISS outpost by adding the P5 spacer truss segment during the first of four spacewalks. The next two spacewalks rewired the station’s power system, preparing it to support the addition of European and Japanese science modules by future shuttle crews. The fourth spacewalk was added to allow the crew to coax and retract a stubborn solar panel to fold up accordion-style into its box. Discovery also delivered a new crew member and more than two tons of equipment and supplies to the station. Almost two tons of items no longer needed on the station returned to Earth with STS-116. Mission duration was 12 days, 20 hours and 45 minutes.

NOVEMBER 2007

NAME: Joan E. Higginbotham

NASA Astronaut Candidate (Mission Specialist)

PERSONAL DATA:

Born August 3, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. She enjoys body building (weightlifting), cycling, music, motivational speaking.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Chicago, Illinois, in 1982; received a bachelor of science degree electrical engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in 1987, and masters of management and space systems from Florida Institute of Technology in 1992 and 1996, respectively.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Bronze Eagles.

AWARDS:

NASA Exceptional Service Medal; Keys to the Cities of Cocoa and Rockledge, Florida; Group Achievement Award for STS-26 Return to Flight; Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Certificate of Appreciation for Service; Commendation of Merit for Service to the Department of Defense (DOD) Missions; Presidential Sports Award in bicycling and weight training; Outstanding Woman of the Year Award, Outstanding Performance 1992, 1993, 1995.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Joan Higginbotham began her career in 1987 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, as a Payload Electrical Engineer in the Electrical and Telecommunications Systems Division. Within six months she became the lead for the Orbiter Experiments (OEX) on OV-102, the Space Shuttle Columbia. Later she worked on the Shuttle payload bay reconfiguration for all Shuttle missions. She was also tasked by KSC management to undertake several special assignments where she served as the Executive Staff Assistant to the Director of Shuttle Operations and Management, led a team of engineers in performing critical analysis for the Space Shuttle flow in support of a simulation model tool, and was involved working on an interactive display to show detailed Shuttle processing procedures at Spaceport USA. Higginbotham was promoted to Lead Orbiter Project Engineer for OV-102 after two years as an orbiter project engineer for OV-104, Space Shuttle Atlantis. She held the technical lead government engineering position in the firing room where she supported and managed the integration of vehicle testing and troubleshooting.

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in April 1996 Joan Higginbotham reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996 to begin two years of training and evaluation. Successful completion of initial training will qualify her for various technical assignments leading to selection as a mission specialist on a Space Shuttle flight crew.

• Birth of Joan Elizabeth Miller Higginbotham - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Higginbotham. American engineer mission specialist astronaut 1996-2007. Engineer. 1 spaceflight, 12.9 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-116 (2006)..

• NASA Astronaut Training Group 16 selected. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Brown, David, Burbank, Cagle, Caldeiro, Camarda, Carey, Clark, Fincke, Forrester, Frick, Guidoni, Herrington, Higginbotham, Hobaugh, Kelly, James, Kelly, Mark, Kelly, Scott, Lockhart, Loria, Magnus, Massimino, Mastracchio, McCool, Morin, Nowak, Pettit, Phillips.

  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.. 10 pilots and 25 mission specialists selected from over 2,400 applicants. 9 additional international astronauts.

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 01 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. The Space Shuttle Discovery rocketed into a dark Florida sky at 7:47 p.m. CST today, the third shuttle launch in five months, but the first night launch in more than four years.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 03 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. The Space Shuttle Discovery crew spent much of its first full day in space using the shuttle's robotic arm and an extension boom-mounted sensor system to inspect heat shielding on Discovery's wing leading edges and nose.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 - . Call Sign: Discovery. Crew: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Williams. Return Crew: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter. Payload: Discovery F32 / P5. Mass: 120,420 kg (265,480 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Williams. Agency: NASA. Manufacturer: Boeing. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-121 Astrolab. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Discovery. Duration: 12.86 days. Decay Date: 2006-12-10 . USAF Sat Cat: 29647 . COSPAR: 2006-055A. Apogee: 358 km (222 mi). Perigee: 326 km (202 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.40 min.

  The mission used solid rocket booster pair RSRM-95 and external tank ET-123. At SSME burnout Discovery was in a 58 km x 220 km x 51.6 deg preliminary burn. The OMS-2 burn at 02:25 GMT placed the shuttle in a stable 225 x 250 km orbit from which rendezvous maneuvers began. Discovery docked with the ISS at 22:12 GMT on December 11. In the most demanding ISS assembly mission ever, the crew would require an additional spacewalk to complete installation of the P5 truss, retraction of the recalcitrant port P6 solar array wing, and activation of the truss electrical and cooling system. Sunita Williams rode the shuttle to the station, and remained behind with the EO-14 crew; ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, already aboard the station, was returned to earth. Due to weather problems a landing at White Sands was considered; but in the end Discovery landed safely at Kennedy Space Center, after which it was to enter a year-long overhaul cycle.

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 05 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Astronauts on the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station were united today, and the joint crew immediately began the complex work associated with installing a new truss section and rewiring the station's power grid.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 04 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. The Space Shuttle Discovery continues its pursuit of the International Space Station, a chase that should culminate in the docking of the two spacecraft at 4:05 p.m. CST today.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 06 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. The first spacewalk by Discovery's crew members, an excursion that will install a new, two-ton segment on the port side of the International Space Station's girder-like truss, will highlight today's work on mission STS-116.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Retracting a solar array wing that has been extended in space for six years will highlight the activities aboard the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle Discovery today.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 10 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15. The second spacewalk for Discovery's crew members is scheduled for this afternoon. During the spacewalk, set to start about 2:12 p.m. CST, Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang will begin to rewire the station's power system. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 11 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116. Two spacewalking electricians completed half of STS-116's rewiring today, and when flight controllers threw the switch, the lights inside the International Space Station turned on again without a hitch.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 12 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. With half the International Space Station's electrical system rewired, the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery gets half a day off today before they finish the job during a third spacewalk set for Saturday.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 13 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. The crews of Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station tried again to refold an accordion-like solar array with help from engineers and flight controllers on the ground, but none of the techniques succeeded in clearing the jam.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 14 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. The third spacewalk of Discovery's mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to begin at 1:37 p.m. CST to complete the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory's power system.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 16 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Astronauts will spend much of today getting ready for a fourth spacewalk during Discovery's mission to the International Space Station.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 17 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116.

  Flight controllers today put the finishing touches on plans for the fourth spacewalk recently added to the mission. On board the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station astronauts finished transferring the bulk of supplies between the two spacecraft. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 18 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116. Discovery and International Space Station crew members will conduct their fourth spacewalk of the week today, an excursion aimed at freeing a snagged, partially retracted station solar array so it will fully fold properly.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 19 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116. Space Shuttle Discovery Astronauts Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang guided the port overhead solar array wing neatly inside its blanket box during a 6-hour, 38-minute spacewalk.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 21 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Crews aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station bid one another farewell at 4:10 p.m. CST today, wrapping up eight days of docked operations.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 20 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Space Shuttle Discovery astronauts will leave the orbiting laboratory today after four successful spacewalks, delivery and installation of a new segment of the International Space Station's main truss and reconfiguring the station's power system.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 22 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Discovery crew members will make a final check of the shuttle's heat shields today, using a sensor-equipped 50-foot extension of the shuttle's robotic arm.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 23 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Inspection of Discovery's heat shield was conducted today as the seven crewmembers began the task of preparing their ship for their high-speed return to Earth on Friday.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 24 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Discovery's astronauts will spend today preparing to return to Earth. They will test flight control surfaces, steering jets and other entry and landing systems while they stow equipment in Discovery's cabin.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 25 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15. Discovery's astronauts completed preparations for a planned return to Earth on Friday and received word from Mission Control that their final inspection showed the shuttle's heat shield is in good shape.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 26 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Lopez-Alegria, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter, Tyurin, Williams. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-121 Astrolab. Discovery's wakeup call said it all. The song was "Home for the Holidays," sung by Perry Como for the crew, requested by the Mission Control Center.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-116 MCC Status Report 27 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-9, STS-116, STS-121 Astrolab. The crew of Space Shuttle Discovery made it home in time for Christmas, gliding to a perfect landing as the sun set over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.. Additional Details: here....

• Landing of STS-116 - . Return Crew: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Curbeam, Fuglesang, Higginbotham, Oefelein, Patrick, Polansky, Reiter. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-116, STS-121 Astrolab.