bio
From Illinois to the ISS: about NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus
A native of Belleville, Ill., Sandra Magnus (pictured right, in foreground) entered NASA's astronaut program in April 1996. STS-126, her November 2008 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, is her second space flight to the International Space Station, or ISS.
A 1982 graduate of Belleville West High School, Magnus earned her bachelor of science degree in physics from Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) in 1986. After graduation, she went to work for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Co. as a stealth engineer while pursuing a master's degree in electrical engineering. She earned her M.S. in 1990. A standout soccer player while at Missouri S&T, Magnus was inducted into the Missouri S&T Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Magnus also holds a Ph.D. from the School of Material Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Following two years of training and evaluation, Magnus became a NASA mission specialist in 1998 and began working on projects related to the International Space Station. She was assigned to travel to Russia in support of hardware testing and in August 2000, she served as a CAPCOM (capsule communicator) for the ISS.
In 2002, Magnus boarded her first shuttle mission, STS-112, to deliver and install a new component to the space station's truss structure. Her job was to operate the space station's robotic arm during the three spacewalks required to outfit and activate the new component. Magnus logged a total of 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes in space during that initial flight.
Following STS-112, Magnus was assigned to work with the Canadian Space Agency to prepare the Special Dexterous Manipulator robot for installation on the ISS. In July 2005, she started training for her current long-duration mission. As a flight engineer and NASA science officer on Expedition 18, Magnus is part of the crew of STS-126. She is scheduled to return to Earth with the crew of STS-119 in 2009.
Sandra Magnus' official NASA bio.
A native of Belleville, Ill., Sandra Magnus (pictured right, in foreground) entered NASA's astronaut program in April 1996. STS-126, her November 2008 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, is her second space flight to the International Space Station, or ISS.A 1982 graduate of Belleville West High School, Magnus earned her bachelor of science degree in physics from Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) in 1986. After graduation, she went to work for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Co. as a stealth engineer while pursuing a master's degree in electrical engineering. She earned her M.S. in 1990. A standout soccer player while at Missouri S&T, Magnus was inducted into the Missouri S&T Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Magnus also holds a Ph.D. from the School of Material Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Following two years of training and evaluation, Magnus became a NASA mission specialist in 1998 and began working on projects related to the International Space Station. She was assigned to travel to Russia in support of hardware testing and in August 2000, she served as a CAPCOM (capsule communicator) for the ISS.
In 2002, Magnus boarded her first shuttle mission, STS-112, to deliver and install a new component to the space station's truss structure. Her job was to operate the space station's robotic arm during the three spacewalks required to outfit and activate the new component. Magnus logged a total of 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes in space during that initial flight.
Following STS-112, Magnus was assigned to work with the Canadian Space Agency to prepare the Special Dexterous Manipulator robot for installation on the ISS. In July 2005, she started training for her current long-duration mission. As a flight engineer and NASA science officer on Expedition 18, Magnus is part of the crew of STS-126. She is scheduled to return to Earth with the crew of STS-119 in 2009.
Sandra Magnus' official NASA bio.
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