Kevin A. Ford

Kevin Ford
Kevin Ford
Born	Kevin Anthony Ford; July 7, 1960(age 64); Portland, Indiana,U.S.
Education	University of Notre Dame(BS); Troy University(MA); University of Florida(MS); Air University(PhD)
	Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Colonel,USAF
Time in space	157d 13h 9m
Selection	NASA Group 18 (2000)
Missions	STS-128; Soyuz TMA-06M(Expedition 33/34)
Mission insignia

Kevin Anthony Ford(born July 7, 1960) is a retiredUnited States Air Force ColonelandNASA astronaut.Ford has received a number of special honors and awards, some of which are theAir Force Meritorious Service Medal,Air Force Commendation Medal,Aerial Achievement Medaland theArmed Forces Expeditionary Medal.Ford has also logged more than 6,100 flying hours and also holdsFAAcertificates for airplanes, helicopters, gliders, and balloons. Ford has served in many roles at NASA since his selection in July 2000. The roles include as a Capsule Communicator orCAPCOM.He was also the Director Of Operations at theGagarin Cosmonaut Training CenterinStar City,Russia from January 2004 to January 2005. He was pilot ofSTS-128and flight engineer 2 ofSoyuz TMA-06Mfrom October 23, 2012, to March 16, 2013. He served as ISS flight engineer for Expedition 33, and commander ofExpedition 34.

Early life and education[edit]

Ford was born July 7, 1960, inPortland, Indianaand considersMontpelier, Indianahis hometown. He graduated fromBlackford High School,Hartford City, Indianain 1978. He received hisBachelor of Sciencedegree inAerospace Engineeringfrom theUniversity of Notre Damein 1982, aMaster of Sciencedegree inInternational RelationsfromTroy State Universityin 1989, a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from theUniversity of Floridain 1994, and aPh.D.inAstronautical Engineeringfrom theAir Force Institute of TechnologyofAir Universityin 1997. He has attended the U.S. Air ForceSquadron Officer School,theAir Command and Staff CollegeAssociate Program, and theAir War College.

He is a distinguished graduate of Detachment 225,Reserve Officer Training Corps,1982. He also a distinguished graduate ofUndergraduate Pilot TrainingatColumbus AFBin 1984 and a distinguished graduate of theUnited States Air Force Test Pilot Schoolin 1990.

Military career[edit]

Ford was commissioned as asecond lieutenantin 1982 and completed primary Air Force jet training atColumbus Air Force Base,Mississippiin 1984. He trained in theF-15 Eagleand was assigned to the 22nd TacticalFighter Squadron,Bitburg Air Base,Germany, from 1984–1987, and then to the 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron atKeflavik Naval Air Station,Icelanduntil 1989, intercepting and escorting 18Sovietcombat aircraft over theNorth Atlantic.After spending 1990 as a student at theUnited States Air Force Test Pilot School,Edwards Air Force Base,California,Ford flew flight test missions in theF-16 Fighting Falconwith the 3247th Test Squadron atEglin Air Force Base,Floridafrom 1991–1994. Test experience there included multipleF-16flutter missions, development of the ALE-47CountermeasuresDispenser System, multiple safe separation, ballistics, and fuse tests, and air-to-air missile development testing, including the first AMRAAM shot from theF-16Air Defense Fighter variant. Following a three-year assignment to pursue full-time studies as a doctoral candidate atWright-Patterson Air Force Base,Ohio,he was assigned to the Air Force Test Pilot School where he served as the director of plans and programs, taught academics, and instructed students on flight test techniques in theF-15,F-16,and gliders. Ford has 6100 flying hours and holdsFAAAirline Transport Pilot certificate for airplanes (B757/767 type ratings), commercial certificates for helicopters and gliders, and a private license for hot air balloons. He is a certificated flight instructor in airplanes and gliders. Ford retired from the Air Force in June 2008 as a colonel.

NASA career[edit]

Selected as an astronaut candidate byNASAin July 2000, Ford reported for training in August 2000. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Advanced Vehicles Branch, working advanced exploration issues, and to theSpace ShuttleBranch, working on the development and test of the Shuttle Cockpit Avionics Upgrade. He served as Director of Operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia from January 2004 to January 2005. At the 2007Grand Prix of Houston,Ford got to ride the Minardi F1 two-seater race car, driven byZsolt Baumgartner.^[1] Ford was pilot of Space Shuttle DiscoverySTS-128which launched on August 28, 2009, and landed on September 11, 2009, delivering 20,000 pounds of internal and external cargo to the International Space Station. Following that space flight, Colonel Ford trained for and worked space missions as a Space StationCAPCOMin theMission Control Center.On October 23, 2012, Ford again flew to space as part ofExpedition 33aboardSoyuz TMA-06M.Ford became commander ofExpedition 34on November 18, 2012, with the departure from the ISS of theSoyuz TMA-05Mspacecraft, which returned theExpedition 33crew to Earth. He, along with the Russian crewmbmers of Soyuz TMA-06M, returned to Earth on March 16, 2013.

Awards and decorations[edit]

Personal decorations
	Legion of Merit
	Meritorious Service Medal
	Aerial Achievement Medal
	Air Force Commendation Medal
Campaign and service medals
	National Defense Service Medalwithservice star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Service, training, and marksmanship awards
	Air Force Longevity Service Awardwith silveroak leaf cluster
	Air Force Training Ribbon
NASA awards
	NASA Space Flight Medal