Piers Sellers spent over 559 hours in orbit during three Space Shuttle missions, combining the perspectives of a trained climatologist with the technical rigours of an astronaut. His career bridged the gap between complex computer modelling of Earth's atmosphere and the practical challenges of assembling the International Space Station while floating in the vacuum of space.
Academic and Scientific Foundations
Born in 1955 at the Crowborough War Memorial Hospital, Sellers pursued an academic path that merged ecology and meteorology. After graduating from Cranbrook School in 1973, he earned a bachelor's degree in ecological science from the University of Edinburgh in 1976 and a doctorate in biometeorology from the University of Leeds in 1981. These credentials provided the base for his later work at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he researched the interactions between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere using satellite data and computer simulations.
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Sellers moved to the United States in 1982 to advance his scientific career. Although he began applying to the NASA astronaut program in 1984, his lack of American citizenship remained a significant barrier until he was naturalized in 1991. He finally joined the astronaut candidate program in 1996. Following two years of intensive evaluation, he transitioned into technical roles, including serving as a liaison for International Space Station software development based in Moscow.
Spaceflight and EVA Experience
His flight experience began with STS-112 on Atlantis in 2002, where he participated in three spacewalks to install the S-One Truss. In 2006, he served on STS-121 aboard Discovery, performing additional spacewalks to test a robotic arm boom extension and maintenance procedures for the orbiter's exterior. His final mission, STS-132 on Atlantis in 2010, marked the conclusion of the shuttle's scheduled flight history. Across these missions, he logged nearly 41 hours of extravehicular activity.
Public Service and Legacy
Following his retirement from the astronaut corps in 2011, Sellers remained at NASA, serving as deputy director of sciences and exploration at Goddard. His contributions were recognized with the Henry G. Houghton Award in 1997 and an OBE in 2010. He also appeared in the documentary Before the Flood. After a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, he died in Houston in 2016. The University of Leeds subsequently established the Piers Sellers Prizes to honor climate research.
Fast facts
- Born: 1955, Crowborough War Memorial Hospital
- Died: 2016, Houston
- Citizenship: United Kingdom and United States
- Education: University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds
- Space Shuttle Missions: 3
- Total Time in Space: 559 hours
- Total EVA Time: 41 hours
- Notable Award: Officer of the Order of the British Empire (2010)
Questions readers ask
Did Piers Sellers work as a scientist before becoming an astronaut?
Yes, he was a meteorologist and ecologist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, focusing on computer modelling of climate systems.
Which Space Shuttle missions did Sellers fly on?
He flew on STS-112, STS-121, and STS-132.
Achievements
- Affiliated with University of Maryland
- Educated at University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds and Cranbrook School
- Worked as astronaut, ecologist and meteorologist
