Mike Massimino
Michael James Massimino[1] /ˌmæsɪˈmiːnoʊ/ (born August 19, 1962)[2] is an American professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University and a former NASA astronaut. He is the senior advisor of space programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
Mike Massimino
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Early life[edit]
Massimino was born August 19, 1962, in Oceanside, New York, and raised in Franklin Square, New York,[3] both on Long Island. He graduated from H. Frank Carey Junior-Senior High School in Franklin Square, New York in 1980.[4] He went on to attend Columbia University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering in 1984. He then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating with a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Science degree in Technology and Public Policy in 1988.[5] He continued his education at MIT, earning a Degree of Mechanical Engineer in 1990 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in mechanical engineering in 1992.[5][6]
In media[edit]
Massimino is a frequent guest on television news and talk show programs, including NBC’s Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America, CNN, and Fox News. He has also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
In the PBS children's program Sid the Science Kid, Massimino appeared as himself in an episode focused on scientists.[14]
Beginning in 2012, Massimino appeared as himself in a recurring role on the CBS TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory launching aboard a Russian Soyuz to the International Space Station. He appeared in another episode advising Howard Wolowitz not to go on a second mission to the International Space Station. His screen credit reads "Mike Massimino, NASA Astronaut".
He is a frequent guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson's podcast StarTalk,[15] and has also appeared on the TV version.[16]
Massimino performed twice at a storytelling event of The Moth:[17] on November 14, 2012, he talked about the high stakes in the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope in A View of the Earth[18] and on February 21, 2017, he talked about the swimming test at the beginning of his astronaut training in Swimming with Astronauts.[19]
Massimino makes a brief appearance at a Shuttle launch in Chapter XXIX of the 2012 novel A Hologram for the King, in which he discusses his experience in space.
Massimino was a guest in episode 414 of The Nerdist Podcast.[20]
After the October 4, 2013, release of the film Gravity with Sandra Bullock, Massimino commented on the scientific reliability of the movie.[21] It was also suggested that the role played by George Clooney was partially based on Massimino's spacewalk performance.[22]
Massimino's book Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe was published by Crown Archetype on October 4, 2016[23] The Audible e-book version is narrated by Massimino himself.[24]
In 2017, Massimino hosted Science Channel's live coverage of the total solar eclipse of August 21, dubbed the "Great American Eclipse."[25]
Soon after, he became host of Science's The Planets, an in-depth look at the planets of the Solar System as well as dwarf planets and exoplanets.[26] The series was renewed for a second season, which began airing in 2018 under the new title The Planets and Beyond. He also hosted an online companion series, Ask the Astronaut, in which he talked about his personal experiences of spaceflight.[27]
In 2019, Massimino hosted a YouTube series for Wired where he discusses the differences between life on Earth and in space, discussing topics like Food, Sleep, and Hygiene.[28][29][30]
Massimino voiced the NASA launch control official in the 2022 animated comedy Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe.[31]
In 2024, Massimino was a guest speaker on the podcast Finding Mastery, called an astronaut’s guide to achieving the impossible.[32]
