Shannon Walker: Difference between revisions

{{Use mdy dates|date=NovemberSeptember 20202022}}

| name = Shannon Walker

| image = ShannonWalkerShannon Walker official portrait 2020 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Walker in 20062020

|spouse birth_place = [[Houston,Andy TexasThomas]], U.S.

|type selection = [[List of astronauts by selection#2004|2004= [[NASA Group 19astronaut]]

| time = ''Currently in330d space''13h 40m

|selection = [[NASA Astronaut Group 19|NASA Group 19 (2004)]]
|mission = [[Soyuz TMA-19]] ([[Expedition 24]]/[[Expedition 25|25]]), <br>[[SpaceX Crew-1]] ([[Expedition 64]]/[[Expedition 65|65]])

| insignia = [[File:Soyuz-TMA-19-Mission-Patch.png|40px]] [[File:ISS Expedition 24 Patch.svg|55px]] [[File:ISS Expedition 25 Patch.png|38px]] [[File:SpaceX Crew-1 logo.svg|42px]] [[File:ISS Expedition 64 Patch.png|55px]] [[File:ISS Expedition 65 Patch.png|35px]]

Walker was born in Southwest Houston, where she graduated from [[Westbury High School (Houston)|Westbury High School]] in 1983.

Walker began her professional career with the Rockwell Space Operations Company at the [[Johnson Space Center]] later that year as a robotics flight controller for the [[Space Shuttle program]]. She worked several Space Shuttle missions as a flight controller in the [[Mission Control Center]], including [[STS-27]], [[STS-32]], [[STS-51]], [[STS-56]], [[STS-60]], [[STS-61]], and [[STS-66]].

From 1990 to 1993, Walker took a leave of absence from my [[Johnson Space Center]] to attend graduate school, where her area of study was the solar wind interaction with the [[Atmosphere of Venus|Venusian atmosphere]].<ref>{{Cite web|lastname=Whiting|first=Melanie|date=January 31, 2016|title=Shannon Walker (PH.D) NASA Astronaut|url=http:"bio"//www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/shannon-walker/biography|website=NASA}}</ref> She received a Master of Science and a PhD in Space Physics from Rice University in 1992 and 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|lastname=Whiting|first=Melanie|date=January 31, 2016|title=Shannon Walker (PH.D) NASA Astronaut|url=https:"bio"//www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/shannon-walker/biography|website=NASA}}</ref>

In 1995, she joined the NASA civil service and began working in the [[International Space Station]] (ISS) Program at the Johnson Space Center.

In 1999, Walker moved to [[Moscow]] to work with the [[Russian Space Agency]] and its contractors in avionics integration and integrated problem solving for the ISS. She returned to Houston in 2000 and became the technical lead for the ISS MER and the Deputy Manager of the On-Orbit Engineering Office. Later, she became Acting Manager of the On-Orbit Engineering Office.<ref name="bio">{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Biosastronauts/htmlbiosbiographies/shannon-walker-s.html/biography |title=Astronaut Bio: Shannon Walker (12/2010)|author=NASA|author-link=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|date=DecemberMay 20102021|publisher=NASA|access-date=OctoberJuly 2820, 20112021}}</ref>

On September 19, 2011, NASA announced that Walker would command the [[NEEMO#NEEMO 15: October 20–26, 2011|NEEMO 15]] undersea exploration mission aboard the [[Aquarius (laboratory)|Aquarius]] [[Underwater habitat|underwater laboratory]] from October 17–30, 2011.<ref name="fifteen">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/sep/HQ_11-309_NEEMO.html|title=NASA - NASA Announces 15th Undersea Exploration Mission Date And Crew |access-date=September 19, 2011|publisher=NASA|date=September 19, 2011| author=NASA}}</ref> Delayed by stormy weather and high seas, the mission began on October 20, 2011.<ref name="fifteen2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO15/topside-reports.html|title=NASA - NEEMO 15 Topside Reports |access-date=October 27, 2011|publisher=NASA|date=October 27, 2011| author=NASA}}</ref><ref name="fifteen3">{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/analogsfieldtesting/posts/post_1319199446023.html|title=NEEMO 15 - Splashdown Day!|access-date=October 25, 2011|publisher=NASA|date=October 21, 2011|last=Walker|first=Shannon|archive-date=February 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228230332/http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/analogsfieldtesting/posts/post_1319199446023.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> On the afternoon of October 21, Walker and her crew officially became [[aquanaut]]s, having spent over 24 hours underwater. NEEMO 15 ended early on October 26 due to the approach of [[Hurricane Rina]].<ref name="fifteen2" />

Walker was assigned as backup to NASA Astronaut [[Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams]] for ISS [[Expedition 21]]/[[Expedition 22|22]], directly serving as backup Commandercommander for Expedition 22. Following the launch of Expedition 21/22 on [[Soyuz TMA-16]] in September 2009, Walker was assigned to the prime crew of [[Expedition 24]]/[[Expedition 25|25]].<ref name="crew1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/nov/HQ_08-306_Expedition_crews.html|title=NASA Assigns Space Station Crews, Updates Expedition Numbering |access-date=November 21, 2008|publisher=NASA|year=2008|author=NASA HQ}}</ref>

[[File:Soyuz TMA-19 Crew in front of the capsule (closeup).jpg|right|thumb|Soyuz TMA-19 Crew (Walker on the right) prior to launch.]]

[[File:Expedition 24 inflight crew portrait.jpg|left|thumb|Walker (bottom left) following her arrival aboard the ISS.]]

The crew, including Walker as mission specialist, docked to the ISS and join the Expedition 64 crew in November, alongside Russian cosmonauts, Commandercommander [[Sergey Ryzhikov (cosmonaut)|Sergey Ryzhikov]] and [[Sergey Kud-Sverchkov]], as well as NASA astronaut [[Kathleen Rubins]]. When thosethe threeSoyuz leaveMS-17 crew left the station, currently scheduled forin April 18, 2021, Walker and her three crew mates will transfertransferred over to Expedition 65, with Walker taking command of the expedition, becoming only the third womanfemale ISS commander and the shortest commander of ISS, serving only for 13approximately 11 days.

She is married to a fellowretired NASA astronaut, Australian-born [[Andy Thomas]].<ref name="bio" />

[[Category:WomenAmerican women astronauts]]

[[Category:Crew membersCommanders of the International Space Station]]