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to remember
Anderson, Michael Philip, Lt Col.
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During his stint in the Air Force, Anderson received a master's degree in physics in 1990 from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. Anderson flew various models of the KC-135 and the T-38A aircraft, logging more than 3,000 hours of flight time. He also became an instructor pilot.
Anderson got a step closer to fulfilling his dream of becoming an astronaut in late 1994 when NASA selected him as an astronaut candidate.
" you just sort of pursue your interests," he said, "and you pray about it, and hopefully one day all things will kind of fall into place. And you'll have a chance to make those dreams come true. And fortunately for me, it did happen that way."
In the same preflight interview, he went on to say that he hasn't been disappointed, "And it's been a marvelous adventure. I've enjoyed every bit of it."
Anderson's first space flight occurred in 1998 when he flew as a mission specialist on Space Shuttle Endeavour during STS-89. That flight was the eighth Shuttle/Mir mission. Anderson spent 8 days, 19 hours and 47 minutes in space.
In 2003, he made his second trip into space on Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-107. He served as the STS-107 payload commander. More than 80 experiments were conducted during the flight.
Astronaut Office Chief Kent Rominger said that Anderson was the right man for the job of STS-107 payload commander. "He was a perfect choice for the payload commander," he said. "Organized, thorough, someone you could absolutely count on, a gifted leader."
Anderson and his six crewmates perished on Feb. 1, 2003, as Columbia broke up over Texas during re-entry, about 16 minutes before landing. STS-107 spent 15 days, 22 hours and 20 minutes in space, giving him a total of 24 days, 18 hours and 7 minutes in space.
Gulf War/Liberation and Defense of Kuwait/Operation Desert Storm
From Month/Year
January / 1991
To Month/Year
February / 1991
Description Just after midnight on January 17, 1991 in the U.S., Bush gave the order for U.S. troops to lead an international coalition in an attack on Saddam Hussein’s army. U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf led “Operation Desert Storm,” which began with a massive bombing of Hussein’s armies in Iraq and Kuwait. The ensuing campaign, which is remembered in part for the United States’ use of superior military technology, introduced the term “smart bombs” to the global vernacular—precision-bombing devices aimed primarily at destroying infrastructure and minimizing civilian casualties. In response, Hussein launched SCUD missiles into Saudi Arabia and Israel. Iraq’s use of SCUDs, notoriously inaccurate weapons designed to terrorize civilian targets, nearly succeeded in inciting the Israelis to retaliate. Hussein hoped an Israeli military response would draw neighboring Arab nations into the fight on Iraq’s side, but he again committed a grave miscalculation. Bush reassured Israelis that the U.S. would protect them from Hussein’s terrifying SCUD attacks and Israel resisted the urge to retaliate. Soon after, U.S. –installed Patriot missiles destroyed SCUD missiles in flight and further foiled Hussein’s plan to goad Israel into a holy war.
Following an intense bombing of Baghdad, U.S.-led coalition ground forces marched into Kuwait and across the Iraq border. Regular Iraqi troops surrendered in droves, leaving only Hussein’s hard-line Republican Guard to defend the capital, which they were unsuccessful in doing. After pushing Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait, Schwarzkopf called a ceasefire on February 28; he accepted the surrender of Iraqi generals on March 3.
