Mike Massimino

Massimino was born August 19, 1962, in Oceanside, New York, and raised in Franklin Square, New York,[5] both on Long Island. He graduated from H. Frank Carey Junior-Senior High School in Franklin Square, New York in 1980.[6] He went on to attend Columbia University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering in 1984. He then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating with a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Science degree in Technology and Public Policy in 1988.[7] He continued his education at MIT, earning a Degree of Mechanical Engineer in 1990 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in mechanical engineering in 1992.[7][8]

Upon completing his B.S. degree from Columbia, Massimino worked for IBM as a systems engineer in New York City from 1984 until 1986. In 1986 he entered graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he conducted research on human operator control of space robotics systems in the MIT Mechanical Engineering Department's Human-machine systems Laboratory. His work resulted in the awarding of two patents. While a student at MIT he worked during the summer of 1987 as a general engineer at NASA Headquarters in the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology. He received an MS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 1988, and MS in Technology and Policy from MIT in 1988.[9] During the summers of 1988 and 1989 as a research fellow in the Man-Systems Integration Branch at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and during the summer of 1990 as a visiting research engineer at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. He received the Degree of Mechanical Engineer from MIT in 1990, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from MIT in 1992.[9] Massimino worked at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in Houston, Texas as a research engineer where he developed laptop computer displays to assist operators of the Space Shuttle remote manipulator system. These displays included the Manipulator Position Display, which was evaluated on STS-69. From 1992 to 1994 he was also an adjunct assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering & Material Sciences Department at Rice University, where he taught feedback control of mechanical systems. In September 1995, Massimino joined the faculty of the Georgia Institute of Technology as an assistant professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. At Georgia Tech he taught human-machine systems engineering classes and conducted research on human-machine interfaces for space and aircraft systems in the Center for Human-Machine Systems Research. He has published papers in technical journals and in the proceedings of technical conferences.

NASA career

Massimino works with EVA hardware while training for STS-125.

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in May 1996, Massimino reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. He completed two years of initial training and evaluation and qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. Prior to his first space flight assignment, Massimino served in the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch, and in the Astronaut Office Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Branch. He has served as a CAPCOM (spacecraft communicator) in Mission Control and performed other technical tasks in the Astronaut Office CAPCOM Branch.

On July 29, 2014, Massimino announced that he would be leaving NASA to pursue a teaching career at Columbia University, in New York City.[7]

Massimino is a frequent guest on television news and talk show programs, including NBC’s Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America, CNN, and Fox News. He has also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

In the PBS children's program Sid the Science Kid, Massimino appeared as himself in an episode focused on scientists.[16]

Beginning in 2012, Massimino appeared as himself in a recurring role on the CBS TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory launching aboard a Russian Soyuz to the International Space Station. He appeared in another episode advising Howard Wolowitz not to go on a second mission to the International Space Station. His screen credit reads "Mike Massimino, NASA Astronaut".

He is a frequent guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson's podcast StarTalk,[17] and has also appeared on the TV version.[18]

Massimino performed twice at a storytelling event of The Moth:[19] on November 14, 2012, he talked about the high stakes in the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope in A View of the Earth[20] and on February 21, 2017, he talked about the swimming test at the beginning of his astronaut training in Swimming with Astronauts.[21]

Massimino makes a brief appearance at a Shuttle launch in Chapter XXIX of the 2012 novel A Hologram for the King, in which he discusses his experience in space.

Massimino was a guest in episode 414 of the Nerdist podcast.[22]

After the October 4, 2013, release of the film Gravity with Sandra Bullock, Massimino commented on the scientific reliability of the movie.[23] It was also suggested that the role played by George Clooney was partially based on Massimino's spacewalk performance.[24]

Massimino's book Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe was published by Crown Archetype on October 4, 2016[25] The Audible e-book version is narrated by Massimino himself.[26]

In 2017, Massimino hosted Science Channel's live coverage of the total solar eclipse of August 21, dubbed the "Great American Eclipse."[27]

Soon after, he became host of Science's Sineskwela, an in-depth look at the planets of the Solar System as well as dwarf planets and exoplanets.[28] The series was renewed for a second season, which began airing in 2018 under the new title Mathenik. He also hosted an online companion series, Ask the Astronaut, in which he talked about his personal experiences of spaceflight.[29]

In 2019, Massimino hosted a YouTube series for WIRED where he discusses the differences between life on Earth and in space, discussing topics like Food, Sleep, and Hygiene.[30][31][32]

Massimino voiced the NASA launch control official in the 2022 animated comedy Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe.[33]

• The Explorers Club[34]

• NASA Space Flight Medals[35]
• NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program Fellowship[35]
• Order Sons of Italy in America 2005 Guglielmo Marconi Award[36]
• Christopher Award[37]
• Columbia University Community Impact Outstanding Community Service Award[38]
• Communications Award of the National Space Club[39]

Married to the former Carola P. Pardo. They have two children.[40]

• Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe (2016)[44]

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Massimino.

• "MICHAEL J. MASSIMINO (PH.D.), NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)" (PDF). NASA. July 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
• Mike Massimino at IMDb