Tingle logged 168 days in space on Expedition 54/55 space mission. (Image Credit: NASA)
Hyderabad: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently appointed Scott Tingle as Chief Astronaut at the agency’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston. He is an honoured spaceflight veteran and former captain in the United States (US) Navy.
On this occasion, Vanessa Wyche, Director at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre, congratulated Tingle for being selected as the Chief Astronaut and wished him all success in taking up his new leadership role. Moreover, Wyche also extended her sincere thanks to the former Chief Astronaut, Joe Acaba, for his services and also mentioned his efforts in preparing the astronaut corps for the International Space Station (ISS) missions and contributing to the development and testing of future space technologies and software.
Scott Tingle: Who is he?
NASA Experience: Captain Tingle was selected by NASA in July 2009. He was one of nine members of the agency’s 20th astronaut class. His training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction on ISS systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training and water and wilderness survival training.
Spaceflight Experience: Tingle served as the flight engineer and U.S. operational segment lead during the Expedition 54/55 (December 17, 2017, through June 3, 2018), which was launched to the ISS.
The mission crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan via the Soyuz spacecraft. Tingle was joined by Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. During the space mission, many experiments were conducted, including materials testing, capillary flow experiments, combustion research, and research into plant growth in space.
The mission crew also captured and released four cargo spacecraft delivering several tons of supplies and experiments. Tingle and Kanai ventured outside the station on separate spacewalks to perform work on parts of the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
They also participated in dozens of educational events as part of NASA’s Year of Education on Station.
Tingle logged 168 days in space on one mission.
Naval Experience: After completing graduate school, Tingle spent three years with the Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, California, as a member of technical staff in their Propulsion Department.
In 1991, he was commissioned as a naval officer and earned his wings of gold as a naval aviator in 1993. He began his operational flying career in the next year, 1994, with the Blue Diamonds of VFA-146 based in Lemoore, California.
Tingle was deployed to the Western Pacific and North Arabian Gulf with Carrier Air Wing Nine aboard the USS Nimitz. After graduating from Navy Test Pilot School in 1998, he served as an operational test pilot for the FA-18E/F Super Hornet programme with the Vampires of VX-9, located at China Lake, California.
Tingle then completed a CAG Paddles tour flying FA-18A/C Hornets with Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) aboard USS Carl Vinson.
CVW-11 and USS Carl Vinson were first responders for the attacks of September 11, 2001, and executed Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
After the Afghanistan tour, Tingle was assigned as an assistant operations officer with the Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and instructor pilot with VFA-122. He also completed a department head tour as safety officer, maintenance officer and operations officer while flying the FA-18A Hornet with the Warhawks of VFA-97 (Lemoore, California).
Tingle completed a deployment with CVW-11 to the Western Pacific/North Arabian Gulf and also deployed with Marine Air Group Twelve (MAG-12) to Iwakuni, Japan.
In 2005, he returned to Patuxent Naval Air Station and became the Ship Suitability Department Head and test pilot with the Salty Dogs of VX-23.
At the Patuxent Naval Air Station, he tested FA-18C Hornet, FA-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft and certified aircraft carrier precision landing systems.
Tingle was attached to PMA-201 as the assistant program manager/systems engineer for the Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and Harpoon weapon systems when selected as an astronaut.
He has accumulated more than 4,500 flight hours in 51 types of aircraft, 750 carrier arrestments and 54 combat missions.
Education: Tingle graduated from Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical High School, Canton, Massachusetts, in 1983. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southeastern Massachusetts University in 1987. After his bachelor’s, he pursued and earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a speciality in fluid mechanics and propulsion from Purdue University, Indiana, in 1988. He also attended Naval Aviation Safety Officer School in January 2000, and in June 2015, he attended an Executive Leadership programme at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business
Personal Life: Tingle was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, but he considers Randolph, located in the same US state, as his hometown. He is married to the former Raynette Mahelona of Kailua, Hawaii, and they have three children together.