MICHAEL BAKER signed 8x10 KSC NASA Shuttle Astronaut BECKETT CERTIFIED T42488 For Sale

Michael Allen Baker(born October 27, 1953) is a retiredcaptainin theUnited States Navy, formerNASAastronaut, and theInternational Space StationProgram Manager for International and Crew Operations, at NASA'sJohnson Space Center. He is responsible for the coordination of program operations, integration and flight crew training and support activities with the International Partners. Selected by NASA in June 1985, Baker became an astronaut in July 1986 upon completion of a one-year training and evaluation program.

Following theChallengeraccident, Baker was assigned from January 1986 to December 1987 as a member of the team that was pursuing redesign, modification and improvements to the Shuttle Landing and Deceleration Systems, to include nosewheel steering, brakes, tires, and drag chute, in an effort to provide greater safety margins during landing and rollout. He was then assigned to theShuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory, where he was involved in the checkout and verification of the computer software and hardware interfaces forSTS-26(the return-to-flight mission) and subsequent flights.

A veteran of fourspace flights, Baker has logged 965 hours in space. He served as pilot onSTS-43(August 2–11, 1991) andSTS-52(October 22 to November 1, 1992), and was the mission commander onSTS-68(September 30 to October 11, 1994) andSTS-81(January 12–22, 1997).

STS-43Space ShuttleAtlantislaunched from the Kennedy Space Center,Florida, on August 2, 1991. During the flight, crew members deployed the fifthTracking and Data Relay Satellite(TDRS-E), in addition to conducting 32 physical, material, and life science experiments, mostly relating to theExtended Duration OrbiterandSpace Station Freedom. After 142 orbits of the Earth, the 9-day mission concluded with a landing on Runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center on August 11, 1991. Mission duration was 213 hours, 21 minutes, 25 seconds.

STS-52Space ShuttleColumbialaunched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 22, 1992. During the mission crew members deployed the Italian Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS), used to measure movement of the Earth's crust, and operated the U.S. Microgravity Payload 1 (USMP-1). Additionally, theAdvanced Space Vision System(SVS) developed by theCanadian Space Agencywas tested by the Canadianpayload specialistand the crew using a small target assembly that was released from the remote manipulator system. The SVS will be used for Space Station construction. These three primary payloads together with numerous other payloads operated by the crew encompassed geophysics, materials science, biological research and applied research for Space Station Freedom. Following 159 orbits of the Earth, the 10-day mission concluded with a landing on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center on November 1, 1992. Mission duration was 236 hours, 56 minutes, 13 seconds.

STS-68Space ShuttleEndeavourlaunched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 30, 1994. This flight was the second flight of the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL), which consists of a large radar called SIR-C/X-SAR (Shuttle Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar) and MAPS (Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites). As part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, SRL was an international, multidisciplinary study of global environmental change, both natural and man-made. The primary objective was to radar map the surface of the Earth to help us understand the contributions ofecology,hydrology,geology, andoceanographyto changes in our Planet's environment. Real-time crew observations of environmental conditions, along with over 14,000 photographs, aided in interpretation of the radar images. This SRL 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, the eleven-day mission concluded with a landing on Runway 22 atEdwards Air Force Base,California, on October 11, 1994. Mission duration was 269 hours, 46 minutes, 10 seconds.

STS-81Space ShuttleAtlantislaunched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on January 12, 1997. STS-81 was the fifth in a series of joint missions between the U.S.Space Shuttleand the Russian Space StationMirand the second one involving an exchange of U.S. astronauts. 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 the STS-81 mission concluded with a landing on Kennedy Space Center's Runway 33 ending a 3.9 million mile journey. Mission duration was 244 hours, 56 minutes.

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