Michael Foreman (astronaut)


Michael James Foreman is a retired U.S. Navy pilot and a NASA astronaut. While with NASA, Foreman was part of a mission that delivered the Japanese Experiment Module and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator to the International Space Station. Foreman was also a crewmember of the STS-129 mission in November 2009. In 2018, he was elected mayor of Friendswood, Texas. His wife Lorrie is a civil engineer.

Background

Foreman was born in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio. He is married to Lorrie Dancer of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They have three children.
He graduated from Wadsworth High School, Wadsworth, Ohio, in 1975; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1979, and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1986.

Military career

Foreman was designated a Naval Aviator in January 1981 and assigned to Patrol Squadron 23 at NAS Brunswick, Maine. He made deployments to Rota, Spain; Lajes, Azores; Bermuda and Panama. Following this tour he attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California where he earned a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1986. As a graduate student, Foreman conducted thesis research at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California. Following graduation he was assigned as the Assistant Air Operations Officer aboard homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition to his Air Operations duties, he flew as an E-2 Hawkeye pilot with VAW-120 and VAW-127. Upon selection to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1989, he moved to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. He graduated in June 1990 and was assigned to the Force Warfare Aircraft Test Directorate. In 1991 he was reassigned as a flight instructor and the Operations Officer at U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. During his tenure there he instructed in the F/A-18, P-3 Orion, T-2, T-38 Talon, U-21, DHC-2 and the X-26 Frigate glider. In 1993, Foreman was assigned to the Naval Air Systems Command in Crystal City, Virginia, first as the deputy, and then as the Class Desk Officer for the T-45 Goshawk aircraft program. Following that tour he returned to NAS Patuxent River, this time as the Military Director for the Research and Engineering Group of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. In addition to his duties at Patuxent River, he was assigned as the Navy liaison to NASA's Advanced Orbiter Cockpit Project at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Foreman was working as the technical lead for the Advanced Orbiter Cockpit Project team when he was selected for the astronaut program.
He has logged over 7,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft.

NASA career

Selected by NASA in June 1998, he reported for training in August 1998. Astronaut Candidate Training included orientation briefings and tours, numerous scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Space Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training and ground school to prepare for T-38 flight training, as well as learning water and wilderness survival techniques. He was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Space Station Branch where he represented the Astronaut Office on training issues. He was then assigned to the Space Shuttle Branch as a liaison between the Johnson Space Center and the Kennedy Space Center, and also served as the Deputy, Space Shuttle Branch.
Foreman was part of the STS-123 mission that delivered the Japanese Experiment Module and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator to the International Space Station.
Foreman was also a crewmember of the STS-129 mission in November 2009.

Awards and honors

Association of Naval Aviation, United States Naval Academy Alumni Association, Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal; Navy Achievement Medal and various other service awards.
Graduated with Distinction, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School; Admiral William Adger Moffett Aeronautics Award, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School; Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School; Empire Test Pilots School-sponsored award for best final report, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.