National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas 77058

Biographical Data

NAME:Peter J.K. "Jeff" Wisoff (Ph.D)

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA:

Born August 16, 1958, in Norfolk, Virginia. Single. He enjoys scuba diving, racquetball, swimming, and sailing. His parents, Carl & Pat Wisoff, reside in Norfolk.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from Norfolk Academy, Norfolk, Virginia, in 1976; received a bachelor of science degree in physics (with Highest Distinction) from University of Virginia in 1980, a master of science degree and a doctorate in applied physics from Stanford University in 1982 and 1986 respectively.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Phi Beta Kappa, and the Association of Space Explorers.

SPECIAL HONORS:

NASA Space Flight Medals (1993, 1994, 1997); NCR Faculty Award of Excellence (1989); National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship 1980-1983; Physics Prize and Shannon Award from the University of Virginia (1980). Selected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1979.

EXPERIENCE:

After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1976, Dr. Wisoff began his graduate work on the development of short wavelength lasers at Stanford University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. Upon completing his master's and doctorate degrees at Stanford in 1986, Dr. Wisoff joined the faculty of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Rice University. His research focused on the development of new vacuum ultraviolet and high intensity laser sources. In addition, he also collaborated with researchers from regional Texas Medical Centers on the applications of lasers to the reconstruction of damaged nerves. He has recently collaborated with researchers at Rice University on new techniques for growing and evaluating semiconductor materials using lasers. Dr. Wisoff has contributed numerous papers at technical conferences and in journals in the areas of lasers and laser applications.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Selected by NASA in January 1990, Dr. Wisoff became an astronaut in July 1991. He is qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. His technical assignments to date include: spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control; flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); coordinating flight crew equipment; evaluating extravehicular activity (EVA) equipment and techniques for the construction of Space Station; lead for the Payloads and Habitability Branch of the Astronaut Office. A veteran of three space flights, STS-57 in 1993, STS-68 in 1994 and STS-81 in 1997, Dr. Wisoff has logged over 754 hours in space. Dr. Wisoff is assigned as a mission specialist on STS-92, the third Space Shuttle mission to assemble the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for June 1999.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:

STS-57 Endeavour (June 21 to July 1, 1993) launched from and returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The primary objective of this flight was the retrieval of the European Retrievable Carrier satellite (EURECA) using the RMS. Additionally, this mission featured the first flight of Spacehab, a commercially-provided middeck augmentation module for the conduct of microgravity experiments. Spacehab carried 22 individual flight experiments in materials and life sciences research. During the mission Wisoff conducted a 5-hour, 50-minute spacewalk during which the EURECA communications antennas were manually positioned for latching, and various extravehicular activity tools and techniques were evaluated for use on future missions. Mission accomplished in 155 orbits of the Earth in 239 hours and 45 minutes.

STS-68 (September 30 to October 11, 1994) was the Space Radar Lab-2 (SRL-2) mission. As part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, SRL-2 was the second flight of three advanced radars called SIR-C/X-SAR (Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar), and a carbon-monoxide pollution sensor, MAPS (Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites). SIR-C/X-SAR and MAPS operated together in Endeavour's cargo bay to study Earth's surface and atmosphere, creating radar images of Earth's surface environment and mapping global production and transport of carbon monoxide pollution. Real-time crew observations of environmental conditions, along with over 14,000 photographs aided the science team in interpreting the SRL data. The SRL-2 mission was a highly successful test of technology intended for long-term environmental and geological monitoring of planet Earth. Following 183 orbits of the Earth in 269 hours and 46 minutes, the eleven-day mission ended with Space Shuttle Endeavour landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

STS-81 (January 12-22, 1997) was a ten-day mission, the fifth to dock with Russia's Space Station Mir, and the second to exchange U.S. astronauts. The mission also carried the Spacehab double module providing additional middeck locker space for secondary experiments. In five days of docked operations more than three tons of food, water, experiment equipment and samples were moved back and forth between the two spacecraft. Following 160 orbits of the Earth in 244 hours, 55 minutes, the STS-81 mission concluded with a landing on Kennedy Space Center's Runway 33 ending a 3.9 million mile journey.