Susan J. Helms (Colonel, USAF) Previous | Home | Next

PERSONAL DATA: Born February 26, 1958, in Charlotte, North Carolina, but considers Portland, Oregon, to be her hometown. She enjoys piano and other musical activities, jogging, traveling, reading, computers, and cooking. Plays keyboard for MAX-Q, a rock-n-roll band. Her parents, Lt. Col. (Ret., USAF) Pat and Dori Helms, reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Parkrose Senior High School, Portland, Oregon, in 1976; received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980, and a master of science degree in aeronautics/astronautics from Stanford University in 1985.

ORGANIZATIONS: Women Military Aviators; U.S. Air Force Academy Association of Graduates; Stanford Alumni Association; Association of Space Explorers, Sea/Space Symposium, Chi Omega Alumni.

SPECIAL HONORS: Recipient of the Distinguished Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, NASA Space Flight Medals, and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal. Named a Distinguished Graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School, and recipient of the R.L. Jones Award for Outstanding Flight Test Engineer, Class 88A. In 1990, she received the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment Commanding Officer's Commendation, a special award unique to the Canadian Forces. Named the Air Force Armament Laboratory Junior Engineer of the Year in 1983.

EXPERIENCE: Helms graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980. She received her commission and was assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, as an F-16 weapons separation engineer with the Air Force Armament Laboratory. In 1982, she became the lead engineer for F-15 weapons separation. In 1984, she was selected to attend graduate school. She received her degree from Stanford University in 1985 and was assigned as an assistant professor of aeronautics at the U.S. Air Force Academy. In 1987, she attended the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. After completing one year of training as a flight test engineer, Helms was assigned as a USAF Exchange Officer to the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment, Canadian Forces Base, Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada, where she worked as a flight test engineer and project officer on the CF-18 aircraft. She was managing the development of a CF-18 Flight Control System Simulation for the Canadian Forces when selected for the astronaut program. As a flight test engineer, Helms has flown in 30 different types of U.S. and Canadian military aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in January 1990, Helms became an astronaut in July 1991. A veteran of four space flights, Helms has logged over 1,096 hours in space. She flew on STS-54 in 1993, STS-64 in 1994, STS-78 in 1996, and most recently on STS-101. Helms is assigned as a member of the second crew to inhabit the International Space Station (ISS-2), scheduled for launch in February 2001, and composed of a 3 member crew (2 American astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut). The crew will install and conduct tests on the Canadian made Space Station Robotic arm (SSRMS), unload the Italian made Logistics module, conduct internal and external maintenance tasks, conduct medical and science experiments. During her stay onboard the Space Station, STS-104 will bring up the Airlock which will be added to the Space Station. Helms will be the SSRMS operator taking the Airlock from the Shuttle and will berth the Airlock to the Space Station. After approximately 5 months, the ISS-2 crew will return onboard a Space Shuttle that will transport their replacement crew.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-54 Endeavour, January 13-19, 1993. The primary objective of this mission was the deploy of a $200-million NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-F). A Diffuse X-Ray Spectrometer (DXS) carried in the payload bay, collected over 80,000 seconds of quality X-ray data that will enable investigators to answer questions about the origin of the Milky Way galaxy. The crew demonstrated the physics principles of everyday toys to an interactive audience of elementary school students across the United States. A highly successful Extravehicular Activity (EVA) resulted in many lessons learned that will benefit Space Station Freedom assembly. Mission duration was 5 days, 23 hours, 38 minutes, 17 seconds.