NII TsPK picture

ISS Commander,
Soyuz TMA TSC Flight Engineer,
Colonel, US Air Force,
NASA Astronaut, USA

BIRTH DATA AND PLACE:
March 14, 1967, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, but considers Emsworth, Pennsylvania to be his hometown.
His parents, Edward and Alma Fincke, reside in Emsworth, Pennsylvania.

EDUCATION:
In 1985 Fincke graduated from Sewickley Academy, Sewickly, Pennsylvania.
In 1989, being an Air Force ROTC scholarship student, he completed the studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautics and astronautics; as well as in earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences.
In 1990 Fincke received a master of science degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University, and the second master of science degree in physical sciences (planetary geology) from the University of Houston, Clear Lake in 2001.

MARITAL STATUS: married to Renita Saikia, has two children: son Chandra and daughter Theraly Pauline.

ORGANIZATIONS: Geological Society of America (GSA).

SPECIAL HONORS:
Recipient of two United States Air Force Commendation Medals, the Unites States Air Force Achievement Medal and various unit and service awards.
Distinguished graduate from the Unites States Air Force ROTC, Squadron Officer School and Test Pilot School Programs.
Recipient of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School Colonel Ray Jones Award as the top flight test engineer/flight test navigator.

HOBBIES:
Hiking, flying, travel, Geology, Astronomy, reading and learning new languages (conversant in Japanese and Russian).

EXPERIENCE:
Upon graduation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Robinson attended an exchange program with Moscow Aviation Institute where he studied Cosmonautics. Upon completion of the Stanford University in 1990, Fincke entered the United States Air force where he was assigned to the Air Force Space and Missiles Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. There he served as a space systems engineer and a space test engineer. In 1994, upon completion of the United States Air force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, California, Fincke was assigned to the 39th Flight Test Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where he served as a flight test engineer working on a variety of test programs, as well as flying the F-16 and F-15 aircraft. He has over 800 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft types.
Fincke was selected as NASA candidate astronaut in April 1996. Having completed two years of training, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Station Operations Branch serving as an International Space Station Spacecraft Communicator (ISS CAPCOM), a member of the Crew Test Support Team in Russia and as the ISS crew procedures team lead.
In July 1999, he was assigned as backup crewmember for the International Space Station Expedition 4 crew.
From April 19 to October 24, 2004 he passed training for a space flight as a flight engineer and the crew scientist for the ISS Expedition 9 crew (the ISS-9 crew).
He performed the first space flight from April 19 to October 24, 2004 under the ISS Expedition-9 program as the ISS Flight Engineer and Science Officer, Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft Flight Engineer. The ISS-9 crew received and unloaded the Progress M-49 and M-50 cargo transport vehicles, provided four ascents of the ISS orbit, restored CMG-2 power, repaired EMU and Electron-VM oxygen generation system, made scientific experiments and research under the Russian, U.S. and European programs. The Station was transferred to the crew for Expedition-10. During the flight he made four spacewalks of the total duration of 15 hours and 44 min. The mission duration was 187 days 21 hours 16 min 09 s.
He passed training within the ISS-13 backup crew as the ISS commander and the Soyuz TMA TSC flight engineer.
In August 2006 he was preliminarily assigned the ISS-16 backup crew commander by the joint decision of ROSKOSMOS and NASA. He passed training for a space flight within the ISS-16 backup crew as the Soyuz TMA TSC commander and flight engineer.
On February 13, 2007 by NASA decision was approved as the ISS Expedition 18 commander and the Soyuz TMA-13 TSC flight engineer the launch of which shall be provided in October 2008.

September 2008
Based on NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center materials (USA).