Timothy Creamer

Timothy Creamer
Born	Timothy John Creamer (1959-11-15)November 15, 1959 Huachuca City, Arizona,U.S.
Other names	T. J.
Education	Loyola University Maryland(BS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MS)
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Colonel,USA
Time in space	163d 5h 33m
Selection	NASA Group 17 (1998)
Missions	Soyuz TMA-17(Expedition 22/23)
Mission insignia

Timothy John "T. J." Creamer(born November 15, 1959) is aNASAflight director, retiredastronautand acolonelin theUnited States Army.Creamer was born inFort Huachuca,Arizona,but considersUpper Marlboro, Maryland,to be his hometown. He is married to the former Margaret E. Hammer. They have two children.

Education

Bishop McNamara High School,Forestville, Maryland,1978. B.S., Chemistry,Loyola College,Baltimore, Maryland,1982. M.S., Physics,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,1992.

Military career

Creamer graduated from Loyola College in May 1982 with a bachelor of science degree inchemistry,and was commissioned through theROTCprogram as asecond lieutenantin the U.S. Army. He entered theU.S. Army Aviation Schoolin December 1982 and was designated as anArmy Aviatorin August 1983, graduating as the Distinguished Graduate from his class. He was subsequently assigned to the1st Armored Divisionas a section leader, platoon leader, flight operations officer, and as a personnel staff officer for the501st Attack Helicopter Battalion.In 1987, he was assigned to the82nd Airborne Divisionas a commander of an air cavalry troop in the17th Cavalry Regiment,and later as the personnel officer of the82nd Aviation Brigade.Following this assignment, he completed a Master of Science degree inphysicsatMITin 1992, and was subsequently assigned to the Department of Physics at theUnited States Military Academyas an assistant professor. Other military schools include the Army Parachutist Course, Army Jumpmaster Course, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, and the Command and General Staff College. Prior to his astronaut selection in 1998, he had been working as a space operations officer, with theArmy Space Command,stationed inHouston, Texas.He is now the Army's NASA Detachment commander.

NASA career

Creamer inside Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft during launch dress rehearsal

Creamer was assigned to NASA at theJohnson Space Center(JSC) in July 1995 as a Space Shuttle vehicle integration test engineer. His duties primarily involved engineering liaison for launch and landing operations of theSpace Shuttle.He was actively involved in the integrated tests of the systems for each Orbiter for its preparations for its next flight, and directly supported eight Shuttle missions as a vehicle integration test team lead. Additionally, he focused his efforts in coordinating the information technologies for the Astronaut Office to aid personnel in their electronic communications both on JSC as well as through their travels to other centers.

Selected by NASA in June 1998, Creamer reported for Astronaut Candidate Training in August 1998. Having completed the initial two years of intensive Space Shuttle and Space Station training, he was assigned technical duties in the Space Station Branch of the Astronaut Office, where his primary focus involved the command and control computers on Space Station, as well as the office automation support computers, and the operational Local Area Network encompassing all international partners and modules.

Beginning November 2000, Creamer became the crew support astronaut for theExpedition 3crew, which was on orbit from August 2001 to December 2001. He was the primary contact for all the crew needs, coordination, planning and interactions, and was the primary representative of the crew while they were on orbit.

Starting March 2002, Creamer headed the Hardware Integration Section of the Space Station Branch, responsible for ensuring all hardware configurations were properly integrated, and that all operational aspects of the futureInternational Space Station(ISS) hardware are accounted for. In October 2004, he was assigned to be the astronaut office representative and coordinator for all things relating to on-orbit information technologies.

Creamer was next assigned to the Robotics Branch, dealing with the international partners on all computer aspects ofRoboticsoperations, as well as all of the command and control software and user interfaces. Additionally, he was the real-time support lead forExpedition 12for all things involving the robotics operations on the International Space Station.

In September 2006, Creamer served as anaquanautduring theNEEMO 11mission aboard theAquariusunderwater laboratory,living and working underwater for seven days.

Expedition 22/23

In 2009 Creamer served as backup forExpedition 20Flight EngineerTimothy Kopra,who launched toward the ISS onSTS-127.

Following his time as Kopra's backup, Creamer was assigned to the prime crew ofExpedition 22/Expedition 23,alongsideRoscosmoscosmonautOleg KotovandJAXAastronautSoichi Noguchi,the trio launched onboardSoyuz TMA-17from theBaikonur CosmodromeinKazakhstanon 20 December 2009.The trio docked to the ISS two days later, joining Expedition 22 crew membersJeff Williamsof NASA andMaksim Surayevof Roscosmos.

Because science is the prime reason for the ISS, Creamer also certified as a payload operations director in Huntsville, AL, helping to coordinate real-time operations of all ISS-based science events, the first flown astronaut to do so.

On January 22, 2010, Creamer was the first astronaut to live tweet from the space.

Flight Director

On August 16, 2016, Creamer was the first astronaut to be certified as a flight director at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Awards and honors

• Defense Superior Service Medal
• Legion of Merit
• Meritorious Service Medal(2nd Oak Leaf Cluster)
• Army Achievement Medal(1st Oak Leaf Cluster)
• Air Force Space and Missile Badge
• National Defense Service Medal
• Russian Federation of AstronauticsYuri Gagarin Medal
• Senior Army Aviator
• Senior Parachutist
• Jump Master
• Distinguished Graduate of theU.S. Army Aviation School

Awards

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal	with 2oak leaf clusters
	Army Achievement Medal
	National Defense Service Medal	with oneservice star
	Army Service Ribbon
	NASA Space Flight Medal

Organizations

He is a member ofAlpha Sigma Nu,Phi Kappa Phi,Sigma Pi Sigma,Army Aviation Association of America,Association of the United States Army,and theBritish-American Project.

References

This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.

External links

• TJ CreameronTwitter
• "TIMOTHY J. (TJ) CREAMER (COLONEL, U.S. ARMY, RET.), NASA ASTRONAUT"(PDF).NASA. October 2019.RetrievedJune 24,2021.
• Spacefacts biography of Timothy Creamer