Endeavour’s crew goes to the head of the class

Spacewalkers and supporters
Two of Endeavour's crew members take on the role of spacewalkers during a mission that could be extended from 11 to 14 days, depending on whether or not a new system to transfer electrical power from the international space station to the shuttle works as expected. If the mission is extended, the number of spacewalks on the agenda will be boosted from three to four.

Among the pieces to be installed on the space station are a small truss section that will become part of the station's backbone, and a platform for storing spare parts. One of the space station's control moment gyroscopes — the devices that keep the station in its proper orientation — is being replaced. The spacewalkers also plan to reposition antennas and other equipment on the station's exterior.

As the mission's intravehicular officer, astronaut Tracy Campbell supports the spacewalkers during their extravehicular activities, or EVAs. Another astronaut — Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr. — was added to the crew just three months ago in a support role, to fill a vacancy created when NASA astronaut Clay Anderson was given an early ride to the international space station. Anderson is penciled in for two of the mission's spacewalks (EVA 3 and 4).

Dafydd (Dave) Williams, mission specialist
Born May 16, 1954, in Saskatoon, Canada. Married with two children.
Education: B.S. in biology, M.S. in physiology, M.D., McGill University.

NASA Canadian spacewalker Dave Williams

Williams has done research in invertebrate physiology and neurophysiology, and worked for years as an emergency physician as well as a professor of surgery. The Canadian Space Agency selected him for astronaut training in 1992, and he joined the international class of astronauts at NASA in 1995. Williams flew on the shuttle Columbia's Neurolab research mission in 1998. He has participated as an aquanaut on underwater training missions in 2001 and 2006. From 1998 to 2002, he headed the Space and Life Sciences Directorate at Johnson Space Center, becoming the first non-American to hold a senior management position at NASA. During Endeavour's mission, he is taking on up to three spacewalks (EVA 1, 2 and 4).

Quote: "That moment of simply being in space, alone, at the end of a robotic arm is going to be pretty exciting. ... You experience this magnificent isolation. This weird sort of sensation where you're on the end of the arm, I can imagine you are totally isolated, but this magnificent panoramic view at the same time."

Richard Mastracchio, mission specialist
Born Feb. 11, 1960, in Waterbury, Conn. Married with three children.
Education: B.S. in electrical engineering / computer science, University of Connecticut. M.S., electrical engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. M.S. in physical science, University of Houston-Clear Lake.

NASA Spacewalker Richard Mastracchio

Mastracchio worked as an engineer for Hamilton Standard and Rockwell Shuttle Operations from 1982 to 1990. He came to NASA in 1990, working first as an engineer, then as a Mission Control flight controller. Mastracchio joined the astronaut corps in 1996, and flew on the shuttle Atlantis' mission in 2000 to prepare the space station for its first resident crew. Mastracchio is the other spacewalker on Endeavour's crew (for EVA 1, 2 and 3).

Quote: "The biggest thing that I'm doing on this mission that I didn't do on the last mission was a spacewalk. And that's about the greatest thing I think an astronaut can do, is a spacewalk. Maybe the only thing better than that is walking on another planet."

Tracy Caldwell, mission specialist
Born Aug. 14, 1969 in Arcadia, Calif. Single.
Education: B.S. in chemistry, California State University at Fullerton. Ph.D. in physical chemistry, University of California at Davis.

NASA Mission specialist Tracy Caldwell

Caldwell conducted research into atmospheric chemistry — and has also worked as an electrician/inside wireman for her father’s electrical contracting company. She has published and presented her scientific work in numerous papers at technical conferences and in scientific journals. She is also a private pilot, and conversational in American Sign Language as well as Russian. Caldwell became an astronaut in 1998 and participated in the testing and integration of Russian components on the space station. This is her first spaceflight. She serves as lead intravehicular crew member as well as a robotic-arm operator.

Quote: "I think seeing the stars as close as I'll ever see them is ... something I just can't wait to see. And just looking back at the earth ... we've all seen pictures that other astronauts have brought back, and I have such close friends who can describe to me in such detail what it was like for them, I just can't wait to see it for myself. I wish there was a way to bottle it up and bring it home and show everybody."

Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr., mission specialist
Born Nov. 5, 1962 in Washington, D.C. Single.
Education: B.S. in astronautical engineering and physics, U.S. Air Force Academy.  Master of Aerospace Science from Embry Riddle University. M.S.S. in political science from U.S. Air Force Air University.

NASA Mission specialist Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr.

Drew received his commission as a second lieutenant from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1984 and flew combat missions during the U.S. military's anti-Noriega operation in Panama in 1989, as well as the first Persian Gulf War. He is a command pilot with 3,000 hours of flight time in more than 30 types of aircraft. Drew was selected as an astronaut in 2000 and was added to the Endeavour crew in May. Endeavour's mission will make him the first representative of the astronaut class of 2000 to go into space.

Quote: "I’m the supporting cast for this mission. There’s people out there doing EVAs, there’s people out there doing robotic arm operations, and all those things need support from the rest of the crew. ... That’s what I’m doing. It’s not a very glamorous role, but it’s something I’m absolutely very happy to be doing."

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