Duane G. Carey
Born
Duane Gene Carey

(1957-04-30) April 30, 1957
Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
StatusRetired
NationalityAmerican
OccupationTest pilot
Space career
NASA Astronaut
RankLieutenant colonel, USAF
Time in space
10d 22h 10m
Selection1996 NASA Group
MissionsSTS-109
Mission insignia
SpouseCheryl Tobritzhofer
Children2

Duane Gene "Digger" Carey (born April 30, 1957) is a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and a former NASA astronaut.[1] He piloted the space shuttle Columbia on March 1, 2002, during a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission.[2][3]

Education

Carey graduated from Highland Park High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1975.[4] He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, and a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1981 and 1982, respectively.[5]

Flying career

Carey received his commission from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1981 and graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training in 1983. He flew the A-10A Thunderbolt II during tours at England Air Force Base, Louisiana, and Suwon Air Base, Republic of Korea. He completed F-16 Fighting Falcon training in 1988 and was assigned to Torrejon Air Base, Spain.[1]

In 1991, he was selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. After graduation in 1992, he worked as an F-16 experimental test pilot and System Safety Officer at Edwards. He has logged over 4,300 hours in more than 35 types of aircraft.[1]

NASA career

Carey was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in April 1996. He reported to the NASA Johnson Space Center in August 1996. After the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was qualified for flight assignment as a pilot. Initially, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Spacecraft Systems/Operations Branch.[6]

In 2002, he served as the pilot of Columbia on STS-109, logging over 10 days in space. STS-109 (March 1–12, 2002). STS-109 was the fourth Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission. The crew of STS-109 successfully upgraded the Hubble Space Telescope, leaving it with a new power unit, a new camera and new solar arrays. HST servicing and upgrade was accomplished by four crew members during five EVAs on five consecutive days. Carey also helped document the EVA activities with video and still images. STS-109 orbited the Earth 165 times, and covered 3.9 million miles in over 262 hours.[7]

Carey retired from NASA in October 2004.[8]

Personal life

He is married to Cheryl Ann Tobritzhofer, also of Saint Paul, Minnesota. They have two children.[9]

He is a member of the National Space Society and American Motorcyclist Association, and the Air Force Association.[4]

Honors

Carey has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device and three Air Medals, as well as the American Motorcyclist Association Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Biographical Data: DUANE G. "DIGGER" CAREY (LIEUTENANT COLONEL, USAF, RET.) NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)" (PDF). Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. October 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  2. ↑ Kinsey Jr., Darryl (August 10, 2022). "Astronaut shares space journey with Charles County youth". SoMdNews.com. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  3. ↑ Buchmeier, Brandon (February 12, 2020). "Astronauts present out-of-this-world experience at Air Force Academy for K-12 students". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Ellis, Lee (2004). Who's who of NASA Astronauts. Americana Group Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9667961-4-8.
  5. ↑ "Duane G. "Digger" Carey (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF)". Goddard Space Flight Center. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ Dunn, Marcia (October 13, 2002). "He was wild before the blue yonder". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 3, 2013. Sure, Carey eventually became an Air Force officer, flew combat in the Gulf War, racked up a pair of engineering degrees and even home-schooled his two kids in math and science. But would NASA want a former railroad bum and eternal motorcycle nut for a shuttle pilot, when all those straight-A, straight-arrow, strait-laced types were available?
  7. ↑ O'Brien, Miles (March 5, 2002). "Aboard Columbia: Duane Carey". Cable News Network. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved July 5, 2013. An aerospace engineer and former military test pilot, Duane Carey is piloting the space shuttle Columbia's Hubble servicing mission on his first flight into space. Carey is also shooting video and still pictures on the mission and serving as one of two mission medics.
  8. ↑ "Astronaut 'Digger' Carey Trades Shuttle for Motorcycle". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. October 21, 2004. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Columbia Pilot Carey". Spaceflight Now. January 7, 2002. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  10. ↑ "AMA Awards Program". About. American Motorcyclist Association. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013. 2002 Lt. Col. Duane 'Digger' Carey - AMA member and Space Shuttle pilot who carried the AMA flag into space
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