FAU Engineering and Computer Science Alumnus and NASA Astronaut Steve Swanson Scheduled to Take Third Trip into Space

After years of training and preparation, American engineer, NASA Astronaut and proud FAU alumnus Steve Swanson is preparing for his third trip into space. Swanson and two Russian cosmonauts are scheduled to launch aboard Soyuz TMA-12M on March 25, 2014. This will be Swanson’s first flight aboard the Russian spacecraft.

“I’m extremely excited for this trip. We have spent a long time getting ready for this expedition. We are very eager and excited to launch,” said Swanson.

Swanson received his master of applied science in computer systems from FAU in 1986. In 1987, Swanson joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a systems engineer in the Aircraft Operations Division of Johnson Space Center, working on the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

In the fall of 2008, while serving as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, Swanson carried an FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science flag to the ISS to deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and truss element to the ISS. That flag now hangs in the dean’s suite of the Engineering East building on the Boca Raton campus as a tribute to Swanson’s endeavors. He is the recipient of the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, the Johnson Space Center Certificate of Accommodation and the Flight Simulation Engineering Award, and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Swanson was also named the Fall 2007 Florida Atlantic University Alumni Association (FAUAA) Hall of Fame recipient. Established by the FAUAA in 1985, the Hall of Fame award recognizes distinguished alumni who demonstrate exceptional service and commitment to their profession and to the community.

“FAU provided me with an excellent education in computer science. It was a rigid program and it really prepared me for my career,” said Swanson.

He has presented community lectures to students from Broward and Palm Beach County schools, speaking about the importance of education and reliving his space mission experiences with the audience.

For more information on the mission, please visit: NASA’s Mission Page.