Airman to pilot STS-130 shuttle mission

  • Published
  • By Capt. Corinna Jones
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) --  An Airman will pilot the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor, scheduled to launch Feb. 7 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Col. Terry Virts Jr., an astronaut, fighter pilot and test pilot with more than 3,800 flying hours in more than 40 different aircraft, said the U.S. Air Force Academy played a significant role in preparing him for his career.

"The Academy's academic experience gave me a great background in engineering and taught me how to approach and understand real-world technical problems," he said. 

"More importantly, the Academy gave me training and experience in leadership, ethics and integrity, something many schools do not and something that is absolutely essential for any career as an officer and post-Air Force careers," he said.

The colonel said athletics also played a key role.

"Staying in shape is a key part of any healthy life. The Academy got me used to staying active in lots of different activities; running, swimming, sports, skiing," the native of Colombia, Md. said. "There's no better place to prepare you as a whole person than the Air Force Academy. It's tough and not always fun while you're there, but it's worth it."

During the STS-130 mission, Endeavour will deliver a third connecting module, the Tranquility node, to the station and a seven-windowed cupola to be used as a control room for robotics. The mission will feature three extra-vehicular activities, or spacewalks.

STS-130 is the 32nd shuttle mission to the station and Colonel Virts' first trip to space. 

Colonel Virts graduated from the Academy with academic distinction and a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. He also attended the French air force academy, L'École de l'Air, in 1988 on an exchange program.

Colonel Virts was selected for U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 1997 and graduated a year later. Following his graduation, he served as an experimental test pilot at the F-16 Combined Task Force at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., from 1999 until July 2000.