Air Force colonel to pilot his first space shuttle mission

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MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) --  An Air Force colonel is scheduled to pilot the Space Shuttle Endeavour for mission STS-126 when it takes off Nov. 14 at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Col. Eric Boe, a NASA astronaut, will fly the shuttle on his first voyage into space as Endeavour supports the International Space Station. 

During the 15-day mission, the Endeavor will dock with the station and deliver supplies to support its expanding needs including a multi-purpose logistics module with supplies and equipment with additional crew quarters, a second treadmill, equipment for the regenerative life support system and spare hardware.

"I'm very excited to go into space and get the opportunity to represent the nation," Colonel Boe said. "It's a great opportunity to see what it's like to go into space."

Colonel Boe credits his dream to fly because of his early and continued involvement with the Civil Air Patrol. The native Georgian, who was once a CAP wing cadet and is still a Florida wing member, said his involvement with CAP as a young man helped him achieve his career goals of becoming a fighter pilot and an astronaut. 

He credits a solo flight at age 16 at a flight encampment conducted by the Georgia Wing with solidifying his desire to fly.

"That was my first real opportunity to fly an airplane by myself," the colonel said. "CAP gave me that opportunity, and it really made a difference in the long term. It's always nice to have flown before you show up at pilot training."

Colonel Boe, a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, was commissioned in 1987. After completing Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, in 1988, he was assigned to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron at the former Clark Air Base, Philippines, as a combat-ready pilot in the F-4 Phantom. In the early 1990s he served as an instructor pilot in the T-38 and AT-38B. In 1994, he was assigned to the 60th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla., serving as an F-15 Eagle flight commander. He flew 55 combat missions over Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch. 

Colonel Boe was selected as a pilot by NASA in 2000, and reported to the Johnson Space Center. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, after fulfilling various duties there, he served as NASA director of operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Star City, Russia.

While serving in the Air Force, Colonel Boe has logged more than 4,000 flight hours in more than 45 different aircraft.

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