Michael J. Massimino became the first individual to send a message via Twitter from orbital space during the STS-125 mission in 2009. Born in 1962 in New York City, he built a career spanning industrial engineering, academic research, and space exploration. His trajectory led him from corporate systems engineering at IBM to executing complex repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Academic Foundation and Early Research
Massimino graduated from H. Frank Carey Junior-Senior High School before earning his Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Columbia University in 1984. He subsequently attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he obtained multiple advanced degrees, including a Master of Science in mechanical engineering and a technology and public policy degree in 1988, followed by a Degree of Mechanical Engineer in 1990 and a doctorate in 1992. During his time at MIT, he conducted research on human operator control of space robotics and secured two patents.
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Before his selection as an astronaut, Massimino worked as a systems engineer at IBM from 1984 to 1986. He later served as a research engineer at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, where he developed laptop displays for the Space Shuttle remote manipulator system. His academic career includes adjunct positions at Rice University and a faculty appointment as an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995, where he focused on human-machine interfaces.
NASA Astronaut Assignments
Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in May 1996, Massimino completed two years of training at the Johnson Space Center. He served in the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch and as a spacecraft communicator in Mission Control. His flight experience includes two Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions: STS-109 in 2002 and STS-125 in 2009. During STS-109, he performed two spacewalks totaling 14 hours and 46 minutes as part of the mission that set a record for total spacewalk duration.
Transition to Academia and Public Engagement
In 2014, Massimino concluded his NASA career to join Columbia University as a Professor of Professional Practice at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. He teaches courses on human space flight and engineering design. Beyond his academic work, he is the senior advisor of space programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and has appeared in various media outlets and entertainment programs, including The Big Bang Theory and his own 2016 best-selling book, Spaceman.
Fast facts
- Born: 1962, New York City
- Education: Columbia University, MIT
- NASA selection: May 1996
- Space missions: STS-109, STS-125
- Notable honor: NASA Space Flight Medal
- Current employer: Columbia University
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What subjects does Michael J. Massimino teach?
He teaches Introduction to Human Space Flight and The Art of Engineering at Columbia University.
Did Massimino play himself on television?
Yes, he appeared as himself in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory and the children's program Sid the Science Kid.
Achievements
- Affiliated with IBM, Rice University and National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Educated at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and H. Frank Carey Junior-Senior High School
- Worked as engineer, astronaut and docent
