Susan Helms

Susan Jane Helms
Lt. Gen. Susan J. Helms, USAF
NASA astronaut
Born	(1958-02-26) February 26, 1958 (age 58) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Other occupation	Engineer
Rank	Lieutenant General, USAF
Time in space	210d 23h 06m
Selection	1990 NASA Group
Missions	STS-54, STS-64, STS-78, STS-101, Expedition 2 (STS-102 / STS-105)
Mission insignia
Military career
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1980 – 2014
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	United States Strategic Command
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (4) Defense Meritorious Service Medal (3)

Susan Jane Helms (born February 26, 1958) is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force and a former NASA astronaut. She was the commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic); and commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Helms was a crew member on five Space Shuttle missions and was a resident of the International Space Station (ISS) for over five months in 2001. While participating in ISS Expedition 2, she and Jim Voss conducted an 8-hour and 56 minute spacewalk, the longest to date. Helms officially retired from the United States Air Force in 2014.

Helms was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but considers Portland, Oregon, to be her hometown. She enjoys piano and other musical activities, jogging, traveling, reading, computers, and cooking. Her parents, Lieutenant Colonel (retired, USAF) Pat and Dori Helms, reside in Denver, Colorado. She has three sisters.

Helms graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980. She received her commission and was assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, as an F-16 weapons separation engineer with the Air Force Armament Laboratory. In 1982, she became the lead engineer for F-15 weapons separation. In 1984, she was selected to attend graduate school. She received her degree from Stanford University in 1985 and was assigned as an assistant professor of aeronautics at the U.S. Air Force Academy. In 1987, she attended the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. After completing one year of training as a flight test engineer, Helms was assigned as a USAF Exchange Officer to the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment, at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada, where she worked as a flight test engineer and project officer on the CF-18 aircraft. She was managing the development of a CF-18 flight control system simulation for the Canadian Forces when selected for the astronaut program.