Andrew J. Feustel
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| Andrew J. Feustel | |
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| Astronaut | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | August 25, 1965 Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
| Other occupation | Geophysicist |
| Selection | 2000 NASA Group |
| Missions | STS-125 |
| Mission insignia |
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Dr. Andrew J. (Drew) Feustel (born August 25, 1965 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is a NASA astronaut, selected in 2000. He is slated to be a crew member on STS-125, scheduled for August 2008.
[edit] Biography
Feustel grew up in Lake Orion, Michigan, where he graduated from Lake Orion High School and received an AS degree from Oakland Community College. He then attended Purdue University, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and received both a BS in Solid Earth Sciences (1989) and a MS in Geophysics (1991). He then moved to Ontario, Canada to attend Queen's University, where he received his PhD in Geological Sciences in 1995.
After working in industry for five years, Dr. Feustel was selected as a mission specialist by NASA in July 2000. He completed NASA's two-year training program and is currently assigned to the Astronaut Office Space Shuttle and Space Station Branches, where he has been serving in technical support assignments. In October 2006, Dr. Feustel was announced as a crew member for STS-125, the final Hubble servicing mission by the Space Shuttle.
Feustel is married to Indira Devi Bhatnagar. Andrew and Indira met as undergraduates at the beginning of their mutual freshman year at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana; they have two children. He enjoys automobile restoration, skiing and guitar, and is a member of the astronaut band Max Q.
While attending Community College, Dr. Feustel worked as an auto mechanic at International Autoworks, Ltd., Farmington Hills, Michigan, restoring 1950’s Jaguars. At Purdue University, Dr. Feustel served as a Residence Hall Counselor for two years at Cary Quadrangle for the Purdue University Student Housing organization. His summers were spent working as a commercial and industrial glazier near his home in Michigan. During his Master‘s degree studies Feustel worked as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department of Purdue University. His M.S. thesis investigated physical property measurements of rock specimens under elevated hydrostatic pressures simulating Earth’s deep crustal environments. While at Purdue, Feustel served for three years as Grand Prix Chairman and team Kart driver for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. In 1991, Feustel moved to Kingston, Ontario, Canada to attend Queen’s University where he worked as a Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Teaching Assistant. Feustel’s Ph.D. thesis investigated seismic wave attenuation in underground mines and measurement techniques and applications to site characterization. For three years he worked as a Geophysicist for the Engineering Seismology Group, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, installing and operating microseismic monitoring equipment in underground mines throughout Eastern Canada and the United States.
In 1997, Feustel began working for the Exxon Exploration Company (now ExxonMobil Exploration Company), Houston, Texas, as an Exploration Geophysicist designing and providing operational oversight of land, marine, and borehole seismic programs worldwide.
In July 2000, Feutel was selected as a Mission Specialist by NASA and he reported for training in August 2000. He is assigned to STS-125, which will be the final Space Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, which has a launch target of 2008.
