Kathryn P. Hire

Infobox Astronaut
name =Kathryn Patricia "Kay" Hire


type =Astronaut
nationality =American
date_birth =August 26, 1959
place_birth =Mobile, Alabama
occupation =Engineer
rank =Captain, USN
selection =1994 NASA Group
time =15d 21h 50m
mission =STS-90
insignia =
personal =single, no kids |Captain Kathryn Patricia "Kay" Hire of the U.S. Navy Reserve (born August 26, 1959, Mobile, Alabama) is a NASA astronaut.

Personal data

She enjoys competitive sailing, snow skiing, scuba diving, and fishing. She is single and has no children.

Education

*Murphy High School, Mobile, Alabama, 1977.
*Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Management from the U.S. Naval Academy, 1981.
*Master of Science degree in Space Technology from Florida Institute of Technology, 1991.

Organizations

*Association of Space Explorers,
*Association of Naval Aviation,
*Institute of Navigation,
*Naval Reserve Association,
*U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association,
*U.S. Sailing Association.

pecial Honours

*Defense Superior Service Medal
*Meritorious Service Medal
*Joint Service Commendation Medal
*National Defense Service Medal
*Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
*War on Terrorism Service Medal
*Armed Forces Reserve Medal with bronze Hourglass Device and "M" Device
*NASA Space Flight Medal

Experience

Navy Experience

After earning her Naval Flight Officer wings in October 1982, Hire conducted worldwide airborne oceanographic research missions with Oceanographic Development Squadron EIGHT (VXN-8) based at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. She flew as Oceanographic Project Coordinator, Mission Commander and Detachment Officer-in-Charge on board the specially configured RP-3A and RP-3D Orion aircraft.

Hire instructed student naval flight officers while assigned to Naval Air Training Unit Mather (NAVAIRTU Mather), a tenant command associated with the 323d Flying Training Wing at Mather Air Force Base, California. While assigned to NAVAIRTU Mather, Hire progressed from Navigation Instructor and Course Manager to Curriculum Manager while concurrently assigned as a navigator flight instructor in the USAF T-43A aircraft.

In January 1989, Hire joined the Naval Reserve at NAS Jacksonville, Florida. Her tours of duty included Patrol Squadron Augment Unit VP-0545 and Anti-submarine Warfare Operations Center 0574 and 0374.

Following the repeal of the combat aircraft restriction for female military aviators in 1993, Hire was the first female in the U.S. military assigned to a combat aircrew, reporting to Patrol Squadron Sixty-Two (VP-62) on May 13, 1993 as a Navigator/Communicator flying the P-3C Update III Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

Hire later served with USS KITTY HAWK Detachment 0482, Tactical Support Center 0682, Seventh Fleet Detachment 111, and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Detachment 108. Recalled to full-time active military duty from 2001 to 2003, Hire supported Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet staff.

NASA Experience

Hire began work at the Kennedy Space Center in May 1989, first as an Orbiter Processing Facility 3 Activation Engineer and later as a Space Shuttle Orbiter Mechanical Systems Engineer for Lockheed Space Operations Company. In 1991 she certified as a Space Shuttle Test Project Engineer (TPE) and headed the checkout of the Extravehicular Mobility Units (spacesuits) and Russian Orbiter Docking System. She was assigned as Supervisor of Space Shuttle Orbiter Mechanisms and Launch Pad Swing Arms in 1994. [ [http://www.wsradio.com/wsradio-player.cfm/type/windows/show/Go-Navy-Radio/segment/8308.html Interview on Go Navy Radio] 2004] [ [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/hire.html Astronaut Bio: Kay Hire (01/2007)] ] [ [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/hire_kathryn.htm Spacefacts biography of Kathryn P. Hire] ]

Selected by NASA in December 1994, Hire reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. After a year of training, she worked in mission control as a spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM). Hire flew as Mission Specialist-2 on STS-90 Neurolab (1998) and logged over 381 hours in space. She served as the Astronaut Office Lead for Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), Shuttle Payloads, and Flight Crew Equipment. Hire is currently assigned to the Astronaut Support Personnel (ASP) team for Kennedy Space Center Operations.

pace Flight Experience

STS-90 Neurolab (April 17 – May 3, 1998). During the 16-day Spacelab flight, the seven-member crew aboard Space Shuttle Columbia served as both experiment subjects and operators for 26 life science experiments focusing on the effects of microgravity on the brain and nervous system. The STS-90 flight orbited the Earth 256 times, and covered 6.3 million miles.

Notes