NASA Astronaut to Speak at Misericordia April 6

The Murgas Amateur Radio Club and the Misericordia University College of Arts and Sciences will host NASA Astronaut Colonel Douglas H. Wheelock, U.S. Army Retired, on Wednesday, April 6 in the Henry Science Center Room HEN 210/212 on the Misericordia University Campus. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. Colonel Wheelock will discuss his experiences as an astronaut, including his time on the International Space Station. 

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Registration is required at https://www.misericordia.edu/colonel-wheelock-speaking-engagement

Colonel Wheelock was selected by NASA in 1998. He was assigned to the Astronaut Office International Space Station (ISS) Operations Branch as a Russian liaison, participating in the testing and integration of Russian hardware and software products developed for the ISS. He worked extensively with the Energia Aerospace Company in Moscow, Russia, and has led joint U.S./Russian teams to oversee bench reviews, inventory, loading and launch of the first four unmanned ISS resupply capsules.

The retired Colonel has accumulated more than 178 days in space and has conducted six spacewalks totaling more than 43 hours. Wheelock flew on STS-120 in 2007 and in 2010 he served as a flight engineer for Expedition 24 and commander for Expedition 25, where he conducted three unplanned spacewalks to replace a faulty ammonia pump module. 

The native of New York holds a bachelor's degree in applied science and engineering from the United States Military Academy West Point and a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA. 

The Murgas Amateur Radio Club (MARC) was organized in 1975 in the spirit first pioneered by Father Joseph Murgas who pioneered the first overland wireless voice transmission in 1905 that went from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton. The club has fostered an environment of learning for potential new amateur operators while at the same time promoting other more experienced operators to improve and hone their skills.