Kenneth Ham

Infobox Astronaut
name =Kenneth Ham

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type =Astronaut
nationality =American
date_birth =birth date and age|1964|12|12
date_death =
place_birth =Plainfield, New Jersey
place_death =
occupation =Test Pilot
rank =Captain, USN
selection =1998 NASA Group
time =
mission = STS-124
insignia = |

Kenneth Todd Ham (b. 12 December, 1964 in Plainfield, New Jersey) is an American astronaut and a Commander in the U.S. Navy. Ham was selected for NASA's astronaut program in August 1998, while serving as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet lead carrier suitability test pilot. Ham's U.S. Naval aviator call sign is "Hock".

Personal data

Ham is married to the former Michelle Lucas of Hobart, Indiana, and has two children, Ryan and Randy, from a previous marriage to Linda Hautzinger Ham. Ham's parents are Ed and Marion Ham. Ham's recreational interests include baseball, running, weight lifting, general aviation, snow skiing and water skiing, skydiving and scuba diving.

Education

Ham graduated from Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark, NJ in 1983 and then went on to the U.S. Naval Academy from which he graduated in 1987 with a bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering. In 1996, he earned a master of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. A Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Ham is also a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

Experience

After earning his commission as an ensign in the United States Navy in May 1987, Ham received flight training in T-34C, T-2C, and TA-4J aircraft. Ham was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1989, and subsequently received F/A-18 Hornet training. His operational assignments included stints with VFA-132 and VFA-105 fighter squadrons. During a temporary assignment to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Ham served as a crew member aboard NASA's reduced gravity research aircraft -- a KC-135 Stratotanker nicknamed the "Vomit Comet".

At the Naval Postgraduate School/Test Pilot School, Ham participated in a cooperative program, studying aeronautical engineering for 18 months, followed by 12 months of test pilot training. He was selected as one of five U.S. Navy pilots on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Integrated Test Team, responsible for developing a new fleet aircraft. In this role, Ham conducted flight tests involving arrested landings, catapult assisted takeoffs, weapon separation, and evaluation of the aircraft's propulsion stability, performance and general flying qualities.

During two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, Ham conducted combat missions over Bosnia and North Iraq, serving as an air wing strike leader, F/A-18 demonstration pilot, and night vision goggle instructor. He has over 3,700 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft types, with over 300 shipboard, and 300 land based arrested landings.

Astronaut Experience

Ken Ham has served as CAPCOM for Space Shuttle ascent/entry and orbit, as well as the International Space Station (ISS). His most recent CAPCOM assignment was for NASA's "return to flight" mission, STS-114, of the Space Shuttle. He made his first spaceflight as pilot of STS-124, which "Discovery" flew to the International Space Station in June 2008.

References

* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ham.html Official NASA Bio]
* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/ham_kenneth.htm Spacefacts biography of Kenneth Ham]