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Michael Philip Anderson, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, was born on December 25, 1959 in Plattsburgh, New York. He considered Spokane, Washington his hometown. He enjoyed photography, chess, computers, and tennis.

Anderson and his crewmates, Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Laurel B. Clark, Kalpana Chawla, David M. Brown, and Ilan Ramon, died on Feb. 1, 2003 as Columbia broke up over Texas during re-entry, about 16 minutes before landing.

NASA Biography

Space Flights:

• Mission Specialist, STS-89, Endeavour, January 22-31, 1998, the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission
• Payload Commander and Mission Specialist 3, STS-107, Columbia, January 16-Feburary 1, 2003

Total Hours in Space: 594

Astronaut Group: 15-March 6, 1995

Degrees: B.S., Physics and Astronomy, 1981, University of Washington. M.S, Physics, 1990, Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Military Service & Awards: Anderson flew various models of the KC-135 and the T-38A aircraft, logging more than 3,000 hours of flight time. He also became an instructor pilot. Distinguished graduate USAF Communication Electronics Officers course. Recipient of the Armed Forces Communication Electronics Associations Academic Excellence Award 1983. Received the USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training Academic Achievement Award for Class 87-08 Vance AFB. Awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, the USAF Meritorious Service Medal, and the USAF Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster.

Crew Photo, STS-107:

How to locate: Located just behind the Columbia memorial when facing it. This is to the West of the Memorial Amphitheater, near the mast of the U.S.S. Maine.