Michael J. Bloomfield

Michael J. Bloomfield
NASA Astronaut
Nationality	American
Status	Retired
Born	(1959-03-16) March 16, 1959 Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Other names	Michael John Bloomfield
Other occupation	Test Pilot
Rank	Colonel, USAF
Time in space	32d 11h 02m
Selection	1994 NASA Group
Missions	STS-86, STS-97, STS-110
Mission insignia

Michael John "Bloomer" Bloomfield (born March 16, 1959) is an American former astronaut and a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions.

Early life and education

Born in Flint and raised in Lake Fenton, Michigan, Bloomfield received his bachelor's degree in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Air Force Academy, where he played Falcons football for coach Bill Parcells and was the team's captain. He became an F-15 fighter pilot with the rare combination of having graduated the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC, pronounced 'Fwick') and then selected as a test pilot (assigned to the F-16 test squadron at Edwards AFB). He earned his master's degree in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University in 1993.

NASA career

Selected by NASA in December 1994, Bloomfield reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. He worked as Chief of Safety for the Astronaut Office, Chief Instructor Astronaut, Director of Shuttle Operations, and Chief of the Shuttle Branch, which oversees all Shuttle technical issues for the Astronaut Office.

He first flew as a pilot aboard STS-86 in 1997, where he docked with the space station Mir. Bloomfield also piloted STS-97 in 2000 and commanded STS-110 in 2002, both missions to the International Space Station.

Bloomfield has served as Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas since 2006, before resigning from NASA in July 2007. Michael then became Vice President of the Constellation Program for ATK.

He is currently the Vice President and General Manager of Houston-based Oceaneering Space Systems.

External links

• NASA Biography
• Spacefacts biography of Michael J. Bloomfield