Off he’ll go . . .

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

The big day is finally approaching for Chris Ferguson.
Ferguson, a St. Martha Elementary School and Archbishop Ryan High School graduate, is a NASA astronaut just days away from donning that familiar orange suit and piloting space shuttle Atlantis to the international space station.
"I’m really looking forward to this," he said. "It’s going to be a big moment."
The shuttle is tentatively scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida no sooner than 4:04 p.m. on Aug. 28.
Ferguson’s wife Sandra and their three children will be there for the launch. So will his mom and stepfather, Mary Ann and Norman Pietras, along with other family members. One of his former Ryan teachers, Ed Ulmer, will also make the trip.
The Ryan community — Ferguson is a 1979 graduate — is also gearing up for the launch. Staff and others will gather at the school to watch the big event together.
Besides Ferguson, the six-member crew consists of commander Brent Jett and mission specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joe Tanner, Dan Burbank and Steve MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency.
The crew was chosen for the mission in 2002 and has prepared so much that Ferguson almost feels like he’s already made the trip to space.
The delay followed the February 2003 tragedy that killed seven astronauts on Columbia. Flying foam from the shuttle’s external tank struck its wings during liftoff and allowed fiery gases to penetrate it. The shuttle broke up over the western United States as it prepared for landing.
In all, the six Atlantis astronauts on Ferguson’s mission will spend 11 to 13 days in space.
On the third day, they’ll dock at the international space station, where they’ll resume major construction for the first time since 2002.
The astronauts will install solar arrays, and their work will account for one-quarter of the total power generation capacity of the space station once it’s completed.
"This flight is the re-establishment of the construction phase," said Ferguson, 44, a captain in the U.S. Navy. "It will be a big highlight because it’s been a while since we’ve added something to the space station."
Ferguson has been taking the necessary steps toward this moment pretty much since he left Ryan. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in 1984 and a master’s in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1991.
NASA selected him for training in 1998, and he’s been assigned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston ever since. He’ll receive his next assignment when the shuttle returns.
Ferguson has had an interest in space for a long time. He remembers as a 7-year-old in 1969 watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.
In less than two weeks, his big chance will come.
In addition to the main mission of installing solar arrays, the Atlantis astronauts have multiple chores. The crew will test various safety features and take three space walks.
Each astronaut has his or her own duties.
"The pilot is there to back up the commander and get specific tasks done," Ferguson said.
Specifically, Ferguson will conduct high-intensity robotics operations and perform administrative jobs. On the second day in space, he and Burbank will use the shuttle’s robotic arm to check for any external damage from ice, foam and debris.
The upcoming flight will be the third since the Columbia tragedy.
Ferguson, who’ll celebrate his 45th birthday in space on Sept. 1, recognizes the risk, but he believes the space program is much safer thanks to the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. He maintains the program should be a government priority because of the potential discoveries and the national pride it instills.
"Expanding your horizons doesn’t come without a cost," he said, adding that Earth is a small planet in a large universe.
NASA’s long-term goal is to go farther into the universe, perhaps to Mars or back to the moon. It might be generations before NASA gets back to the moon or centuries before Earth can colonize another planet, but Ferguson is glad to be doing his part to advance the cause.
"You have to start some place," he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com