PU Alum on Hubble space mission

NASA launched Space Shuttle Atlantis on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.  This mission marks the 22nd Purdue alum astronaut.

Members of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences held a launch party to celebrate one of their own.

As Purdue Alum Andrew Feustel launched into space on shuttle Atlantis, his Boilermaker family watched. University President and former NASA chief scientist France Córdova said the mission to save the Hubble Space Telescope is complex.

"As they were getting ready to launch it in early October, the command and control data handling unit failed on board the Hubble. So, they had to make a replacement and they're going to be adding that to their mission duties as well as repairing two instruments and replacing two instruments," said President Córdova.

Feustel received his Bachelor and Master of Science from Purdue in 1989 and 1991, respectively.  Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Head Larry Braile remembers Feustel, who is now the first astronaut in space from the department,  as a student.

"I think he's the kind of person who had a vision and a goal and he decided to go for it," said Braile.

Resident Assistants will also have a claim to fame as Feustel is the first Purdue RA in space. Director of Facilities for Housing and Food Services Tim Gennett said while at Purdue Feustel was a Floor Counselor, what RAs were called 20 years ago, at Cary Quad.

"Very easy to talk to. Very friendly. Knew all of the students on his floor very quickly and got to know them very well. I was a bit surprised when I heard he was selected to be an astronaut because I didn't know he aspired to that. But as I think back on him and the qualities that he had, it's not too surprising because he was a very calm, thoughtful person," said Gennett.

Members of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences said most astronauts come from the engineering department at Purdue, so seeing a member of the School of Science in space is rare.