
PERSONAL
DATA: Born March 14, 1967 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
but considers Emsworth, Pennsylvania to be his hometown. Married to
the former Renita Saikia of Houston, Texas. He is the oldest of 9 children.
Enjoys hiking, flying, travel, Geology, Astronomy, learning new languages,
and reading. Major Fincke is conversant in Japanese and Russian. His
parents, Edward and Alma Fincke reside in Emsworth, Pennsylvania. Renita’s
parents, Rupesh and Probha Saikia formerly of Assam, India reside in
Huntsville, Alabama.
EDUCATION:
Graduated from Sewickley Academy, Sewickley, Pennsylvania in 1985. He
attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on an Air Force
ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1989 with a bachelor of science in
Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as a bachelor of science in Earth,
Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. He then received a master of science
in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 1990.
ORGANIZATIONS:
Geological Society of America (GSA).
SPECIAL
HONORS: Recipient of two United States Air Force Commendation
Medals, the United States Air Force Achievement Medal, and various unit
and service awards. Distinguished graduate from the United States Air
Force ROTC, Squadron Officer School and Test Pilot School Programs.
Recipient of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School Colonel Ray
Jones Award as the top Flight Test Engineer/Flight Test Navigator in
class 93B.
EXPERIENCE:
Major Mike Fincke graduated from MIT in 1989, and immediately attended
a Summer exchange program with the Moscow Aviation Institute in the
former Soviet Union, where he studied Cosmonautics. After graduation
from Stanford University in 1990, Major Fincke entered the United States
Air Force where he was assigned to the Air Force Space and Missiles
Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. There he served
as a Space Systems Engineer and a Space Test Engineer. In 1994, upon
completion of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards
Air Force Base, California, Major Fincke joined the 39th Flight Test
Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where he served as a Flight
Test Engineer working on a variety of flight test programs, flying the
F-16 and F-15 aircraft. In January of 1996, he reported to the Gifu
Test Center, Gifu Air Base, Japan where he was the United States Flight
Test Liaison to the Japanese/United States XF-2 fighter program. Major
Fincke has over 750 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft
types.
NASA
EXPERIENCE:
Selected by NASA in April 1996, Major Fincke reported to the Johnson
Space Center in August 1996. Having completed two years of training
and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office
Station Operations Branch serving as an International Space Station
Spacecraft Communicator (ISS CAPCOM), a member of the Crew Test Support
Team in Russia and as the ISS crew procedures team lead. In July 1999,
Major Fincke was assigned as backup crewmember for the International
Space Station Expedition 4 crew, which is due to launch in 2001. This
assignment will be followed by a subsequent assignment to a prime International
Space Station crew.
APRIL
2000