http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas 77058

October 2018

Andrew J. Feustel

(Ph.D.) NASA Astronaut

Summary:

Andrew J. Feustel was selected by NASA in 2000. The Lake Orion, Michigan native has a Ph.D. in the Geological Sciences, 

specializing in Seismology, and is a veteran of three spaceflights. In 2009, Dr. Feustel served on STS-125. That mission 

launched on Atlantis and was the fifth and final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope that improved the 

observatory’s capabilities through 2014. Dr. Feustel also served on STS-134, launching on Endeavour to deliver the 

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPress Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station. Feustel most recently 

served as Commander on the International Space Station for Expedition 55 and 56.

Personal Data:

Raised and educated in Lake Orion, Michigan. Married to the former Indira Devi Bhatnagar of Ontario. Dr. Feustel 

enjoys auto restoration, guitar, water and snow skiing and is a fan of automotive and motorcycle racing. His parents 

both live in Michigan, and his wife’s parents reside in Ontario.

Education:

Graduated from Lake Orion High School, Michigan. Associate Science degree, Oakland Community College, Michigan. 

Bachelor of Science in Solid Earth Sciences, Purdue University. Master of Science in Geophysics, Purdue University. 

Ph.D. in Geological Sciences, specializing in Seismology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 1995.

Experience:

While attending Oakland Community College, Dr. Feustel worked as an auto mechanic at International Autoworks, Ltd., 

Farmington Hills, Michigan, restoring 1950’s Jaguars. At Purdue University, he 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, Dr. Feustel 

worked as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department of Purdue 

University. His thesis investigated physical property measurements of rock specimens under elevated hydrostatic 

pressures simulating Earth’s deep crustal environments. While at Purdue, he served for three years as Grand Prix 

Chairman and team Kart driver for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. In 1991, Dr. 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, Dr. Feustel began working for the Exxon 

Mobil Exploration Company, Houston, Texas, as an Exploration Geophysicist, designing and providing operational 

oversight of land, marine and borehole seismic programs worldwide.
http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies

Andrew J. Feustel (Ph.D.)

NASA Experience:

Selected as an astronaut by NASA in July 2000, Dr. Feustel reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 2000. His 

training included five weeks of T-34 flight school at Naval Air Station VT-4, Pensacola, Florida. Following the completion 

of two years of evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Space Shuttle and Space Station 

Branches. Dr. Feustel is qualified as a Space Shuttle and Space Station Robotic Arm Operator, CAPCOM, and Instructor 

Astronaut for EVA training at the Neutral Bouyancy Laboratory.

Dr. Feustel has participated in many of NASA’s Astronaut Training activities including: Field Medical Training, Field 

Maintenance Training, NEEMO X in the Aquarius Habitat in Key Largo, Florida; CAVES in Sardinia, Italy; NOLS in Alaska 

and Mexico; Winter Survival Training with the Canadian Armed Forces in Valcartier, Quebec; Desert Rats in Flagstaff, 

Arizona; Geotechnical Studies, Dry Valleys, Antarctica; and Deepworker Submersible Pilot Training, Vancouver, British 

Columbia.

Spaceflight Experience:

STS-125 Atlantis (May 11 to May 24, 2009). This was the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission. The 19-year-old 

telescope spent six days in the shuttle cargo bay undergoing an overhaul conducted by four spacewalkers over five daily 

spacewalks with the assistance of crewmates inside Atlantis. The spacewalkers overcame frozen bolts, stripped screws 

and stuck handrails. The refurbished Hubble Telescope then had four new or rejuvenated scientific instruments, new 

batteries, a new gyroscope and a new computer. In completing his first space mission, Feustel logged a total of 20 hours 

and 58 minutes in three of the five spacewalks. The STS-125 mission was accomplished in 12 days, 21 hours, 37 minutes 

and 09 seconds, traveling 5,276,000 miles in 197 Earth orbits.

STS-134 (ISS assembly flight ULF6) (May 16 to June 1, 2011). This was the penultimate mission of NASA’s Space Shuttle 

Program. The mission marked the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour. This flight delivered the Alpha Magnetic 

Spectrometer, a state-of-the-art cosmic ray particle physics detector designed to examine fundamental issues about 

matter and the origin and structure of the universe, and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station.

The STS-134 mission included four spacewalks and was completed in 15 days, 17 hours, 38 minutes and 23 seconds, 

traveling 6,510,221 miles in 248 Earth orbits, touching down at Kennedy Space Center on June 1, 2011. Feustel served as 

the lead space walker (EV1) and logged 21 hours and 20 minutes over three of the mission’s four spacewalks.

Expedition 55/56 (March 21 through October 4, 2018). The crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the 

Soyuz spacecraft. Feustel, who served as Commander, was joined by Astronaut Ricky Arnold, as well as Russian 

Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev. Feustel saw the arrival and departure of 6 visiting vehicles, participated in dozens of 

educational downlink events and ventured outside the space station on three spacewalks to perform maintenance and 

upgrades. He now has conducted 9 spacewalks in his career with a total of 61 hours and 48 minutes. Feustel is second 

among all U.S. spacewalkers for aggregate EVA time behind Mike Lopez-Alegria and third on the all-time list behind 

Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyev and Lopez-Alegria. Drew logged in 197 days in space during Expeditions 55 and 56. 

He has spent a total of 226 days in space on his three flights.

Awards/Honors:

Graduated Cum Laude, Oakland Community College, Michigan. Purdue University: C.J. Newby Scholarship Award; Ned 

Smith Field School Scholarship Award; Amoco Fellowship; Chevron Fellowship. Queen’s University: Thesis Bursary 

Award, Dean’s Award, Graduate Award, McLaughlin Fellowship, Reinhardt Fellowship. Recipient of 2 NASA Distinguished 

Service Medals.
http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies

Andrew J. Feustel (Ph.D.)

Organizations: 

Society of Exploration Geophysicists; American Geophysical Union; Sigma Phi Epsilon, Indiana Alpha Chapter, Purdue 

University; Association of Space Explorers; BMW Car Club of America.

Pronunciation: 

FOY-stull