Richard Michael Linnehan
Richard Michael Linnehan is an American veterinarian, former Army officer, and NASA astronaut. His career is unusual because he entered human spaceflight from veterinary medicine, animal physiology, and life-sciences research rather than from the usual pilot-engineer path.
- Born
- September 19, 1957
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Lowell, Massachusetts,United States
Flights
4
Spacewalks
6
EVA time
42 hours, 11 minutes
In space
59 days, 20 hours, 49 minutes
Bio
Linnehan studied animal science and microbiology before earning a veterinary degree from Ohio State University. Before NASA, he served in the United States Army Veterinary Corps and worked in marine animal medicine and life-sciences research.
NASA selected him with Astronaut Group 14 in 1992. He flew STS-78 and STS-90, both major life-sciences Spacelab missions, then shifted into Hubble and ISS assembly work on STS-109 and STS-123.
Linnehan performed six , including Hubble servicing work on STS-109 and station robotics/assembly work on STS-123. That combination makes his career a useful bridge between shuttle laboratory science and large-scale orbital construction.