|
FERNANDO (FRANK) CALDEIRO
NASA ASTRONAUT
PERSONAL DATA: Born June 12, 1958 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but considers New York City and Merritt Island, Florida, to be his hometowns. Married to the former Donna Marie Emero of Huntington Beach, California. They have two daughters. He enjoys building, flying and racing his own Long Ez experimental aircraft that he built over a period of seven years, snorkeling, amateur radio (KE4RFI), metalworking. His parents reside in Flushing, New York. Her parents reside in Fountain Valley, California.
EDUCATION: Graduated from W.C. Bryant High School, Long Island City, New York, in 1976; received an associate degree in applied science in Aerospace Technology from the State University of New York at Farmingdale in 1978, a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arizona in 1984, and a master of science degree in engineering management from the University of Central Florida in 1995.
ORGANIZATIONS: Experimental Aircraft Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Alpha Eta Rho International Aviation Fraternity.
AWARDS: Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Technical Leadership Certificate; Rockwell International Corp. Certificate of Commendation; Group Achievement Awards (9); KSC Center Director Round Table Award; KSC Superior Performance Awards (2); KSC Public Affairs Certificate of Appreciation for Service. Appointed in 2002 by President G. W. Bush to serve in the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.
EXPERIENCE: From 1985-1988, Caldeiro worked as a test director during the production and flight test of the Rockwell/USAF B-1B Bomber. In 1988, he was transferred by Rockwell International to the Kennedy Space Center as a space shuttle main propulsion system specialist. In this capacity he was the Rockwell International design center representative for the ground processing and launch of the Orbiter Discovery.
NASA EXPERIENCE: He was hired by NASA KSC in 1991 as a cryogenics and propulsion systems expert for the safety and mission assurance office. Selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in April 1996, Caldeiro reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. Having completed two years of training and evaluation, he is qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. Initially assigned to the Astronaut Office Station Operations Branch, he served as lead astronaut for the European-built station modules. Currently, Caldeiro is the lead astronaut in charge of Shuttle software testing at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory.
JANUARY 2004
|