Lincoln from the ISS. Click for a larger close-up.

The University of Nebraska State Museum and Mueller Planetarium will host an appearance by NASA astronaut and Nebraska native Clayton Anderson 6:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 17 at Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine streets on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus. This will be Anderson's third appearance at Morrill Hall since he became an astronaut Extended museum hours on Aug. 17 will be 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Parking will be free in front of Morrill Hall.
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., Anderson will give a presentation featuring images from his flights aboard the space shuttle, including the April 5-20 STS-131 mission on Discovery to resupply the International Space Station. During this mission, Anderson conducted three spacewalks.
Anderson’s presentation will be followed by a question and answer period. After that, visitors will have the opportunity for photographs and autograph signings with Nebraska's first astronaut until 8 p.m.
The museum's Mueller Planetarium will present the fulldome show "Dawn of the Space Age" at 8 p.m. that evening. Tickets may be purchased at the museum’s front desk on that day.




Nebraska's first astronaut, NASA Astronaut Clayton Anderson joined the International Space Station Expedition 15 crew Sunday, June 10, 2007, replacing Flight Engineer Suni Williams. Anderson arrived at the station as a member of Space Shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 crew. Atlantis docked to the station at 3:36 p.m. EDT. He and Williams officially swapped crews when his custom-made seat liner was swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. Anderson returned to Earth on November 7, 2007, having logged 152 days in space and over 18 EVA hours in 3 spacewalks. Anderson is assigned to the crew of STS-131, one of the final space shuttle missions targeted for launch on April 5th, 2010.

Preflight Interview
ISS Training Blog
International Space Station Coverage
Clayton Anderson's Space Station Journals

Biographical Data

Clayton C. Anderson
NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA: Born February 23, 1959 in Omaha, Nebraska. He considers Ashland, Nebraska to be his hometown. Married to the former Susan Jane Harreld of Elkhart, Indiana. They have two children; a son, Clayton "Cole" and a daughter, Sutton Marie. His mother, Alice J. Anderson, resides in Ashland, Nebraska. His father, John T. Anderson, is deceased. Her parents are Jack and Mary Harreld of Bella Vista, Arkansas. Recreational interests include officiating College and High School basketball; participation in all sports; coaching youth sports; flying; reading; writing music; playing the piano/organ and vocal performance. As an undergraduate he competed on the football, basketball and track teams.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Ashland-Greenwood High School, Ashland, Nebraska, 1977; received a bachelor of science degree (Cum Laude) in Physics from Hastings College, Nebraska in 1981 and a master of science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University in 1983.

ORGANIZATIONS: Southwest Basketball Officials Association; Former Men's College Basketball Official: Red River Athletic, Southern Collegiate Athletic, Heart of Texas, Lone Star, and Texas/New Mexico Junior College Athletic Conferences; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA); Johnson Space Center Employee Activities Association: Vice President of Athletics (1987-1992); Clear Lake Optimist Club Past President and Vice President. Alpha Chi National Scholastic Honor Society, Hastings College, Hastings Nebraska (1980-1981).

SPECIAL HONORS: Honorary Doctorate Degree from Hastings College, 2004; Distinguished Alumnus Award, National Council of Alpha Chi 2001; NASA Quality and Safety Achievement Recognition (QASAR) Award 1998; NCAA National Christian College Basketball Championships Official (1997, 1998); JSC Certificate of Commendation (1993); Outstanding Young Man of America (1981, 1985, 1987); Bronco Award Winner, Hastings College (1981).

NASA EXPERIENCE: Anderson joined the Johnson Space Center in 1983 in the Mission Planning and Analysis Division where he performed rendezvous and proximity operations trajectory designs for early Space Shuttle and Space Station missions. In 1988 he moved to the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) as a Flight Design Manager leading the trajectory design team for the Galileo planetary mission (STS-34) while serving as the backup for the Magellan planetary mission (STS-31). In 1989, Anderson was chosen supervisor of the MOD Ascent Flight Design Section and following reorganization, the Flight Design Engineering Office of the Flight Design and Dynamics Division. In 1993 he was named the Chief of the Flight Design Branch. From 1996 until his selection Anderson held the post of Manager, Emergency Operations Center, NASA Johnson Space Center.

Selected as a mission specialist by NASA in June 1998, he reported for training in August of that year. Training included orientation briefings and tours, numerous scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) systems, physiological training, ground school to prepare for T-38 flight training, as well as learning water and wilderness survival techniques.

Prior to being assigned to a spaceflight Anderson served as the lead for the Enhanced Caution and Warning (ECW) System development effort within the Space Shuttle Cockpit Avionics Upgrade (CAU) Project. Previously, he was the Crew Support Astronaut for ISS Expedition 4, providing ground support on technical issues in addition to supporting the crew families. Anderson also served as an ISS Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) and as the Astronaut Office crew representative for the Station's electrical power system. In November of 2002, Anderson completed training in the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Skills program. He also served as back-up Flight Engineer for Expeditions 12, 13 and 14 to the Station.

Anderson was assigned to the Expedition 15 crew and spent 4 months onboard the International Space Station. He launched to the station aboard Shuttle Atlantis with the crew of STS-117 and returned to earth aboard Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-120.