Michael Phillip Anderson (December 25, 1959 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. He 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. and was transferred to Fairchild Air Force Base, about away from Spokane, Washington, which Anderson spoke of as his hometown. Anderson graduated from Cheney High School in Cheney, Washington, one of four African Americans in a class of 200 students.

Air Force career

Upon Anderson's graduation from the University of Washington, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. On February 1, 2003, the shuttle was returning to Earth after a successful 16-day trip to orbit, where the crew had conducted more than 80 scientific experiments.

Unbeknownst to her crew, the orbiter had suffered critical damage during its launch on January 16, when foam from the fuel tank's insulation fell off and tore a hole in Columbia's left wing. During re-entry, the hole allowed super-hot atmospheric gases to penetrate the orbiter's wing, leading to its destruction. that, in addition to the Columbias physical damage, NASA's management culture was partly responsible for the disaster.

Quotes

Prior to the final launch of the Columbia, Anderson told reporters: "There's always that unknown."

Personal life

Anderson had a wife, Sandra Hawkins, and two daughters, Kaycee and Sydney. He also had three sisters.

Anderson and his family lived in Houston at the time of his death, where they attended Grace Community Church. Anderson sang tenor in the church's choir.

  • Avondale Elementary School in Avondale, Arizona was renamed Michael Anderson Elementary in his honor. Anderson attended school there when he was in the third grade, and one of the school T-shirts was aboard the Columbia on its last voyage.
  • In 2003, Anderson was inducted into the International Forest of Friendship, in Atchison, KS as part of a memorial to the Columbia astronauts.
  • Anderson Park in Canton, Mississippi was dedicated in June 2004.
  • An outdoor bronze statue of Anderson was unveiled in Spokane in June 2005. Larger-than-life, it was created by local artist Dorothy Fowler, and shows Anderson kneeling with his helmet in one hand and a dove in the other.
  • A duplicate statue was dedicated at the Museum of Flight in Seattle in June 2009 and the museum launched an aerospace program in his honor.
  • An outdoor mural in the city of Plattsburgh was unveiled in October 2020 honoring Anderson. On July 4, 2021, the city of Plattsburgh held a dedication for the mural, where the Anderson family was given a key to the city and led the annual Independence Day parade.
  • Lunar crater M. Anderson is named after Anderson.
  • The Creighton University Physics Department, from which Anderson received his master's degree, maintains a statue and physics scholarship in his honor.

See also

  • List of African-American astronauts
  • Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
  • Space science

References

  • Michael Anderson STS-107 Crew Memorial
  • Florida Today - Florida Tech dedicates dorms to Columbia 7 - October 29, 2003
  • The Chicago Alliance for Minority Participation Keynote Address by Major Michael P. Anderson
  • Museum of Flight: Michael P. Anderson Memorial Aerospace Program
  • HistoryLink.org: Michael P. Anderson