Michael P. Anderson

Michael Anderson
1995 portrait
Born	Michael Phillip Anderson (1959-12-25)December 25, 1959 Plattsburgh, New York, U.S.
Died	February 1, 2003(2003-02-01) (aged 43) Over Texas, U.S.
Cause of death	Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
Education	University of Washington (BS) Creighton University (MS)
Awards	Congressional Space Medal of Honor
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
Time in space	24d 18h 8m
Selection	NASA Group 15 (1994)
Missions	STS-89 STS-107
Mission insignia

Michael Phillip Anderson (December 25, 1959 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. Anderson and his six fellow crew members were killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the craft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.^[1] Anderson served as the payload commander and lieutenant colonel in charge of science experiments on the Columbia. Anderson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.