Aerospace Oklahoma
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John Bennett Herrington
John Bennett Herrington was born on September 14, 1958 in Wetumka, Oklahoma and is an American astronaut and a veteran of one space shuttle mission. He is the first member of a Native American tribe to fly in space.
He grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Riverton, Wyoming, and Plano, Texas where he graduated from Plano Senior High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs before receiving his commission in the United States Navy in 1984. He served three deployments in the Pacific region before being assigned as a test pilot.
Herrington was chosen by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and flew his first space mission in 2002 as a mission specialist aboard STS-113. Herrington reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. He completed two years of training and evaluation, and is qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. Herrington was assigned to the Flight Support Branch of the Astronaut Office where he served as a member of the Astronaut Support Personnel team responsible for Shuttle launch preparations and post-landing operations. He flew on STS-113 logging over 330 hours in space, including 3 EVAs totaling 19 hours and 55 minutes. Herrington retired from the Navy and NASA in July 2005 and currently works for Rocketplane Limited.
STS-113 Endeavour (November 23-Dec 7, 2002) was the sixteenth Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station. Mission accomplishments included the delivery of the Expedition-Six crew, the delivery, installation and activation of the P1 Truss, and the transfer of cargo from Shuttle to the Station. During the mission Herrington performed three EVAs totaling 19 hours and 55 minutes. STS-113 brought home the Expedition-Five crew from their 6-month stay aboard the Station. Mission duration 13 days, 18 hours and 47 minutes.
To honor his Native American heritage, Herrington, an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation carried a Chickasaw, Nation flag on his eleven-day trip. The flag had been presented to him by Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. Herrington's maternal great-grandmother was of Chickasaw descent.
In September 2005, Herrington resigned from NASA to become Vice President/Director of flight Operations for Rocketplane Limited, Inc.. He replaced Mitchell Burnside-Clapp. He will also serve as the pilot of the XP Spaceplane.
He has logged over 3,800 flight hours in over 30 different types of aircraft.
