Mastracchio, Richard Alan "Rick"

Mastracchio
Richard Alan "Rick"
Engineer, Astronaut

Richard Alan Mastrocchio, who was born on February 11th, 1960 at Waterbury, Connecticut, of Italian descent, is an engineer, astronaut, and mission specialist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As such, he has flown on at least three NASA Space Shuttle missions, achieved at least nine space walks, flown on at least one Russian spacecraft mission, and endured at least one long duration mission aboard the International Space Station. Mastrocchio, a graduate of Crosby High School, has at least one Bachelor's Degree and at least two Masters' Degrees.

Richard Alan "Rick" Mastracchio is an accomplished American engineer, former NASA astronaut, and a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions and long-duration stays on the International Space Station (ISS). Born on February 11, 1960, in Waterbury, Connecticut, Mastracchio developed a strong interest in science and engineering from an early age.

Education:
Mastracchio graduated from Crosby High School in Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1978. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Connecticut in 1982. He continued his education by obtaining a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1987 and a Master of Science degree in Physical Science from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1991.

Early Career:

Before joining NASA, Mastracchio worked at Hamilton Standard in Connecticut as an engineer, where he was involved in the development of high-performance space and aircraft environmental control systems. In 1987, he joined the Rockwell Shuttle Operations Company at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as an engineer, focusing on the Space Shuttle flight software. In 1990, he moved to the Flight Crew Operations Directorate at the Johnson Space Center, where he worked on the development of Space Shuttle flight procedures and software.

NASA Career:

Mastracchio was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1996. After completing two years of training and evaluation, he qualified as a mission specialist. He held various technical roles in the Astronaut Office before his first spaceflight assignment.

Spaceflight Experience:

Rick Mastracchio has participated in four space missions throughout his career:

STS-106 (September 8-20, 2000): As a mission specialist on Space Shuttle Atlantis, Mastracchio helped prepare the ISS for its first resident crew by transferring supplies, installing batteries, and connecting power, data, and communications cables.

STS-118 (August 8-21, 2007): On this mission, Mastracchio served as a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. The crew installed a new truss segment, an external stowage platform, and a replacement gyroscope on the ISS. Mastracchio conducted three spacewalks during this mission.

STS-131 (April 5-20, 2010): Mastracchio was a mission specialist on Space Shuttle Discovery, responsible for the transfer of more than 27,000 pounds of hardware, supplies, and equipment to the ISS. He performed three spacewalks to replace an ammonia tank assembly and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior.

Expedition 38/39 (November 7, 2013 - May 14, 2014): Mastracchio served as a flight engineer on this long-duration mission to the ISS, launching aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. During his stay, he conducted various scientific research activities, maintenance tasks, and another spacewalk to replace a faulty cooling pump.

Post-NASA Career:

Mastracchio retired from NASA in June 2017 after more than 20 years of service. Following his retirement, he joined the private aerospace company, Orbital ATK (later acquired by Northrop Grumman), as the Senior Director of Operations for their Commercial Resupply Services program.

Throughout his career, Rick Mastracchio has made significant contributions to human spaceflight and the International Space Station program. With four space missions and nine spacewalks under his belt, he has played an essential role in advancing our understanding of living and working in space.

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