National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058
Biographical Data

Benjamin Alvin Drew, JR. (Colonel, USAF)
NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA: Born November 5, 1962 in Washington, DC. His parents, Muriel and Benjamin Drew, Sr., reside in Fort Washington, Maryland.

EDUCATION:
1980 High School Diploma from Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC.
1984 Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy.
1984 Bachelor of Science in Physics from the United States Air Force Academy.
1995 Master of Aerospace Science from Embry Riddle University.
2006 Master of Strategic Studies in Political Science from the United States Air Force Air University.

ORGANIZATIONS: Society of Experimental Test Pilots, American Helicopter Society.

EXPERIENCE: Drew received his commission as a Second Lieutenant from the United States Air Force Academy in May 1984. He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training - Helicopter at Fort Rucker, Alabama and earned his wings in March 1985. His initial assignment was to the HH-3E flying combat rescue. He transitioned to the MH-60G and was assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command. There, he flew combat missions in operations JUST CAUSE, DESERT SHIELD/ DESERT STORM and PROVIDE COMFORT. He completed USAF Fixed-Wing Qualification in April 1993, and the United States Naval Test Pilot School in June 1994. He has commanded two flight test units and served on Air Combat Command Staff. He is a Command Pilot with 3300 hours flying time in over 30 types of aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as a mission specialist by NASA in July 2000, Drew reported for training in August 2000. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Station Operations Branch. He has logged over 305 hours in space having completed his first space flight on STS-118 in 2007.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-118 (August 8-21, 2007) was the 119th space shuttle flight, the 22nd flight to the station, and the 20th flight for Endeavour. During the mission Endeavour's crew successfully added another truss segment, a new gyroscope and external spare parts platform to the International Space Station. A new system that enables docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost was activated successfully. A total of four spacewalks (EVAs) were performed by three crew members. Endeavour carried some 5,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to the station and returned to Earth with some 4,000 pounds of hardware and no longer needed equipment. Traveling 5.3 million miles in space, the STS-118 mission was completed in 12 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes and 34 seconds.

SEPTEMBER 2007