page_title: Michael Fincke
section_title: Expedition 9
hierarchical_section_title: Michael Fincke / NASA career / Expedition 9
caption_attribution_description: English: RSA cosmonaut Gennady Padalka performs an ultrasound exam on NASA astronaut Michael Fincke during Expedition 9 aboard the International Space Station.
context_page_description: Edward Michael "Mike"/"Spanky" Fincke is an American astronaut who formerly held the American record for the most time in space. His record was broken by Scott Kelly on October 16, 2015. In January, 2019 Fincke was selected to fly on the first crewed flight of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, making Fincke the first astronaut since John Young to fly on 3 different launch vehicles into orbit.
  Mike Fincke was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but considers its suburb Emsworth to be his hometown. He is a retired United States Air Force officer and an active NASA astronaut. So far he served two tours aboard the International Space Station as a flight engineer and Commander. He flew on one Space Shuttle mission, STS-134 as a Mission Specialist. Fincke is conversant in Japanese and Russian. He is married to Renita Saikia, and together they have three children; son Chandra and daughters Tarali and Surya.
  Fincke logged just under 382 days in space, placing him second among American astronauts for the most time in space, and 20th overall. He completed nine spacewalks in Russian Orlan spacesuits and American EMUs.
context_section_description: Fincke was the space station science officer and flight engineer for ISS Expedition 9 from April 18 through October 23, 2004. Expedition 9 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft, and docked with the International Space Station on April 21, 2004. Fincke spent six-months aboard the ISS continuing ISS science operations, maintaining station systems, and performing four spacewalks. The Expedition-9 mission concluded with undocking from the station and safe landing back in Kazakhstan on October 23, 2004. Fincke completed his first mission in 187 days, 21 hours and 17 minutes, and logged a total of 15 hours, 45 minutes and 22 seconds of EVA time in four spacewalks.
  Fincke was the back-up Commander for Expedition 13 and Expedition 16.
caption: Gennady Padalka performs an ultrasound exam on Fincke during Expedition 9
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