- Andrew J. Feustel
- Astronaut
Johnson Space Center
I grew up in Lake Orion, Michigan and graduated from High School in 1983. While obtaining my Associate Science degree from Oakland Community College, Michigan, I worked as an auto mechanic restoring 1950’s Jaguars. For my undergraduate work I attended Purdue University, and worked as a Residence Hall Counselor for two years at Cary Quadrangle for the Purdue University Student Housing organization. My summers were spent working as a commercial and industrial glazier near my home in Michigan. I stayed at Purdue University for my Master of Science degree in Geophysics and graduated in 1991. During my Master‘s degree studies I worked as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department of Purdue University. While at Purdue, I raced high performance Go-karts and served for three years as Grand Prix Chairman and team Kart driver for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. I also met my wife at Purdue and in 1991 she and I moved to Kingston, Ontario, Canada where I attended Queen’s University to achieve a Ph.D. and worked as a Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Teaching Assistant. My work at Queen’s involved installing and operating seismic monitoring equipment in underground mines throughout Eastern Canada and the United States. In 1997, I moved to Houston, Texas and began working for the Exxon Mobil Exploration Company as an Exploration Geophysicist designing and providing operational oversight of land, marine, and borehole seismic programs worldwide.
In July of 2000, I was selected as a mission specialist Astronaut. My training has included many amazing opportunities including: five weeks of T-34 training at Naval Air Station VT-4, Pensacola, Florida; land survival training in Maine; cold weather expedition training in Canada; a trip to the Dry Valleys of Antarctica; travel to Russia; and numerous Space Shuttle and Space Station training at the Johnson Space Center. Following the completion of two years of Astronaut training and evaluation, I was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office, and will continue to do so until I have the unique opportunity to be assigned to a space flight.
In my spare time I enjoy auto restoration, guitar playing, and water/snow skiing and tennis with my children.
I believe that there is great value in having both academic and non-academic experiences in life. Early in my childhood, I spent a lot of time working on bikes, motorcycles, boats, go-karts, and later automobiles. These skills have helped me in my former profession as a field geophysicist designing, installing, and operating geophysical equipment in a myriad of settings. More recently, these same skills have been very beneficial to me as an Astronaut, enhancing my EVA and robotics skills, and general operational capabilities. I believe that with opportunity comes obligation, and that each of us is capable of achieving his and her highest goals and aspirations.
