E. Michael Fincke | |
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NASA Astronaut | |
Nationality | American |
Status | Active |
Born | Edward Michael Fincke March 14, 1967 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Other occupation
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Flight test engineer |
MIT, B.S. 1989 Stanford University, M.S. 1990 UHLC, M.S. 2001 |
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Rank | Colonel, USAF |
Time in space
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381d 15h 11m |
Selection | 1996 NASA Group 16 |
Total EVAs
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9 |
Total EVA time
|
48 hours 37 minutes |
Missions | Soyuz TMA-4 (Expedition 9), Soyuz TMA-13 (Expedition 18), STS-134 |
Mission insignia
|
Edward Michael "Mike"/"Spanky" Fincke (born March 14, 1967) is an American astronaut who formerly held the American record for the most time in space (381.6 days). His record was broken by Scott Kelly on October 16, 2015. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but considers its suburb Emsworth to be his hometown. He is a United States Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut, and served two tours aboard the International Space Station as a flight engineer and commander. He flew on one Space Shuttle mission, STS-134 as a Mission Specialist. Fincke is conversant in Japanese and Russian. He is married to Renita Saikia, and together they have three children; son Chandra and daughters Tarali and Surya.
Fincke logged just under 382 days in space, placing him second among American astronauts for the most time in space, and 20th overall. He completed nine spacewalks in Russian Orlan spacesuits and American EMUs. His total EVA time is 48 hours and 37 minutes placing him 9th all time on the list of spacewalkers.
Fincke graduated from Sewickley Academy in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, in 1985. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on an Air Force ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences. He then received a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 1990, and a second Master of Science degree in Planetary Geology from the University of Houston–Clear Lake in 2001. He also attended El Camino College in Torrance, California, where he studied Japanese and Geology.