Fossum received his commission in the U.S. Air Force from Texas A&M University in May 1980. He resigned from active duty in 1992 to work for NASA and now is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He has logged more than 1,000 hours in 34 different aircraft. Fossum previously was the Astronaut Office Lead for Space Station flight software development. As a Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control, Fossum supported several flights, including Lead CAPCOM for Space Station Expedition-6. He completed his first space flight on STS-121 in 2006, logging more than 306 hours in space, including more than 21 hours in 3 EVAs. Fossum is assigned to the crew of STS-124 as the lead spacewalker. The STS-124 mission to the International Space Station will be the second of three flights that will launch components to complete the Japanese "Kibo" laboratory. Launch is targeted for April 2008.
UH's AFROTC program was founded in 2003 as part of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Its goal is providing cadets the education and training necessary to become second lieutenants in the United States Air Force. This is the only college- level Air Force ROTC program in the Houston area and also serves students at Rice University, TSU, the University of St. Thomas, UH-Downtown, UH-Clear Lake, Houston Community College, Houston Baptist University and, beginning in August, San Jacinto, Alvin, College of the Mainland, and Lone Star community colleges. For 2005-2007, Detachment 003 was the fastest-growing AFROTC unit in the nation and expects further double-digit growth for the next three to five years.
| WHAT: | NASA Astronaut at UH |
| WHEN: | 4-5 p.m., Wednesday, March 12 |
| WHERE: | Cullen Performance Hall 4800 Calhoun Road Houston, TX 77004 Directions and parking information is available at: http://www.uh.edu/campus_map/buildings/A.php |
| WHO: | UH AFROTC Detachment 003 3855 Holman St. Houston, TX 77004 (713)743-4932/3704 www.uh.edu/afrotc |