ANDERSON

The son of a career member of the Air Force, Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson of Spokane, Wash., 43, became a communications maintenance specialist when he joined that service after obtaining a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the University of Washington. Five years later he was selected for the Air Force's undergraduate pilot training program. He specialized in transport aircraft, taking assignments as an EC-135 pilot with the Strategic Air Command and as a commander of an air refueling wing. While flying, he obtained a master's degree in physics from Creighton University. He logged more than 3,000 hr. of flight time. NASA selected him as an astronaut in December 1994, and he first flew on Endeavour in 1998 as a mission specialist. He was the payload commander for STS-107. Lt. Col. Anderson leaves a wife and two children.

  USAF Col. Rick Douglas Husband
  Col. Ilan Ramon
  Mission specialist Kalpana Chawla
  Capt. David M. Brown
  U.S. Navy Cdr. William C. McCool
  Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson
  U.S. Navy Capt. (select) Laurel Blair Salton Clark

Special Report: Columbia Investigation