WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) issued the following statement in response to the tragic death of retired NASA astronaut Alan Poindexter:

"I offer my heartfelt sympathy to the Poindexter family, as well as the extended NASA family after the tragic death of Astronaut Alan Poindexter on Sunday, July 1st.  Poindexter was a veteran of two NASA shuttle missions, commanding one of these missions, and also a distinguished Naval Officer - we have truly lost an American hero and friend to many.  My thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this difficult time.”

Astronaut Alan Poindexter died on Sunday, July 1, 2012, while vacationing with his family. After becoming a Navy Captain, he was accepted to the Astronaut Corps in 1998. During his career with NASA, Poindexter commanded the STS-131 space shuttle Discovery mission to the International Space Station in 2010, delivering more than 13,000 pounds of hardware and equipment. He also served as the pilot of the STS-122 mission, which delivered and installed the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory on the station in 2008. Additionally, he served as a spacecraft communicator, or CAPCOM, for multiple missions. Poindexter retired from NASA in 2010 and returned to serve in the United States Navy as Dean of Students at the Naval Postgraduate School.

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