NASA astronaut who helped design ISS retires
NASA astronaut and retired US Army Col. Jeffrey Williams, who played a key role in the design, construction, and operation of the International Space Station, is retiring in January, after…
NASA astronaut and retired US Army Col. Jeffrey Williams, who played a key role in the design, construction, and operation of the International Space Station, is retiring in January, after more than 27 years of service at the agency.
The two-time station commander spent 534 cumulative days in space spanning four trips to the space station. He spent nearly 32 hours outside of the orbital laboratory on five spacewalks.
“Jeff’s dedication and commitment to advancing NASA’s mission for the benefit of all humanity is truly admirable,” said NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche. “His willingness to go above and beyond has impacted several generations and will continue to inspire future generations to come.”
In addition to his time in space, he tested and evaluated the space station’s US laboratory module Destiny during its final assembly at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, led the development of a space shuttle cockpit upgrade, worked in legislative affairs at NASA Headquarters in Washington, commanded a nine-day NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) mission in the Aquarius undersea habitat off the coast of Florida, and worked extensively in spacewalk development.
Since 2017, he has been assistant director of Flight Operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Among his many accomplishments, he served as chair of the Multinational Crew Operations Panel, responsible for International Space Station crew assignments, qualifications, and training.
Most recently, he served on a review board overseeing development of lunar surface projects for the Moon to Mars architecture.
“I had the pleasure of working with Jeff from the very beginning of our careers – first in the earliest days of the space station, and now working together to put the next humans on the Moon,” said Norm Knight, director of flight operations, NASA Johnson.
“Over the course of his 27 years with us, I’ve always admired his leadership, mentorship, and passion for all things spaceflight. He will be so missed, and I’m excited to see what comes next for him.”
Overall, Williams lived and worked with 56 different individuals from eight different countries aboard the orbital outpost. His flights spanned 16 years of the space station’s assembly, construction, and emerging operational capability. He contributed to hundreds of scientific experiments and a broad spectrum of technology development projects.
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