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Kent Rominger (b. August 7, 1956) is an United
States|American astronaut, the current chief of
the NASA Astronaut Office at Johnson Space Center,
and a Captain (Rank)|Captain in the United States
Navy.

He was born in Del Norte, Colorado. He and his
wife Mary Sue have one child. He enjoys snow
skiing, water skiing, horseback riding, and
running. 

He graduated from Del Norte High School, Del
Norte, Colorado, in 1974; received a bachelor of
science degree in civil engineering from Colorado
State University in 1978 and a master of science
degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S.
Naval Postgraduate School in 1987.

He is a member of the Association of Space
Explorers, the Society of Experimental Test
Pilots, the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics, the Association of Naval Aviation,
and the Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Society.

He has been awarded the Defense Superior Service
Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross
(USA)|Distinguished Flying Cross, the Defense
Meritorious Service Medal, the NASA Distinguished
Service Medal.  He was named to the Colorado
Aviation Hall of Fame in 2000.  He is a
Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Test
Pilot School and was the Naval Air Test Center
Test Pilot of the Year in 1988. He received the
Society of Experimental Test Pilots Ray E. Tenhoff
Award in 1990, the Jack Northrop Award in 1996,
and the Colorado State University Distinguished
Service Award in 1997. He was named West Coast
Tomcat Fighter Pilot of the Year in 1992 and was
listed in the Top Ten Carrier Landing Distinction
in Airwings Two and Nine.

Rominger received his commission through the
Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate (AVROC) Program
in 1979, and was designated a Naval Aviator in
September 1980. Following training in the F-14
Tomcat, he was assigned to Fighter Squadron Two
(VF-2) from October 1981 to January 1985 aboard
the USS Ranger and USS Kitty Hawk. While assigned
to VF-2 Rominger attended the Navy Fighter Weapons
School (Topgun). In 1987 he completed the Naval
Postgraduate School/Test Pilot School Cooperative
Program, and was assigned as F-14 Project Officer
to the Carrier Suitability Branch of the Strike
Aircraft Test Directorate at Patuxent River,
Maryland. During his tour of duty Rominger
completed the initial carrier suitability sea
trials of the F-14B, logging the first aircraft
carrier arrestment and catapult launch in the
upgraded Tomcat. In September 1990 he reported to
Fighter Squadron Two Hundred Eleven (VF-211) where
he served as Operations Officer and completed a
Desert Storm Deployment to the Persian Gulf aboard
USS Nimitz.

He has logged over 5,000 flying hours in over 35
types of aircraft and 685 carrier landings.

Selected by NASA in March 1992, Rominger reported
to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992. He
completed one year of training and is qualified
for assignment as a pilot on future Space shuttle
flight crews. Rominger was initially assigned to
work technical issues for the Astronaut Office
Operations Development Branch. He also served as
Chief of the Astronaut Office Shuttle Operations
Branch, and Deputy Director, Flight Crew
Operations. A veteran of five space flights,
Rominger has logged over 1,600 hours in space. He
flew as pilot on STS-73 in 1995, STS-80 in 1996
and STS-85 in 1997, and was crew commander on
STS-96 in 1999 and STS-100 in 2001. Rominger
currently serves as Chief of the Astronaut Corps,
responsible for the mission preparation activities
of all Space Shuttle and future International
Space Station crews and their support personnel.

==Space Flight Experience==
STS-73 in Space Shuttle Columbia|Columbia (October
20 to November 5, 1995) was the second United
States Microgravity Laboratory mission. The
mission focused on materials science,
biotechnology, combustion science, fluid dynamics,
and numerous scientific experiments housed in the
pressurized Spacelab module. In completing his
first space flight, Rominger orbited the earth 256
times, traveled over 6 million miles, and logged a
total of 15 days, 21 hours, and 52 minutes in
space.

STS-80, also in Columbia (November 19 to December
7, 1996) was a 17-day mission during which the
crew deployed and retrieved the Wake Shield
Facility (WSF) and the Orbiting Retrievable Far
and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS)
satellites. The free-flying WSF created a super
vacuum in its wake and grew thin film wafers for
use in semiconductors and other high-tech
electrical components. The ORFEUS instruments,
mounted on the reusable Shuttle Pallet Satellite,
studied the origin and makeup of stars. In
completing his second space flight, Rominger
orbited the earth a record 278 times, traveled
over 7 million miles and logged 17 days, 15 hours
and 53 minutes in space.

STS-85 in Space Shuttle Discovery|Discovery
(August 7-19, 1997) was a 12-day mission during
which the crew deployed and retrieved the
CRISTA-SPAS satellite, operated the Japanese
Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD) robotic
arm, studied changes in the Earth's atmosphere and
tested technology destined for use on the future
International Space Station. The mission was
accomplished in 189 Earth orbits, traveling 4.7
million miles in 11 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes.

STS-96, also in Discovery, (May 27 to June 6,
1999) was a 10-day mission during which the crew
delivered 4 tons of logistics and supplies to the
International Space Station in preparation for the
arrival of the first crew to live on the station.
The mission included the first docking of a Space
Shuttle to the International Space Station and was
accomplished in 153 Earth orbits, traveling 4
million miles in 9 days, 19 hours and 13 minutes.

STS-100, in Space Shuttle Endeavour|Endeavour
(April 19 to May 1, 2001) was a 12-day mission
during which the crew installed the Canadian-built
Robotic Arm and the Rafaello Logistics Module to
the International Space Station. Endeavour was
docked 8-days on the most complex robotics flight
in the history of the Space Shuttle program and
was made up of a very diverse international crew,
representing the United States, Russia, Canada and
Italy. The mission was completed in 187 Earth
orbits, traveling 4.9 million miles in 11 days, 21
hours and 30 minutes.