ASTRONAUT TAKES TRINITY ITEMS INTO SPACE

James Hill, ’76

 The Trinity University swimming and diving team had a devoted fan who carried a Tiger swimming T-shirt and baseball cap a distance of 6.5 million miles. 

            That fan was Michael Foreman, a U.S. Navy captain and astronaut who was a mission specialist on the space shuttle flight to the International Space Station in March.

            It seems that Foreman was allowed to take items from 10 organizations on STS (Space Transport System)-123 Endeavour from March 11-26. Foreman, who made three EVAs (extra vehicular activities), or spacewalks to the rest of us, chose the swimming items because of his son, Jack, a sophomore at Trinity - and former member of the swim team - who plans to major in pre-medicine.

            Trinity’s head swimming coach John Ryan gave Foreman his preferences as what should be taken on the 25^th shuttle/space station assembly mission.

            “I thought about coach Ryan and about Trinity,” Michael Foreman said. “We’ve had a good experience here at Trinity. I asked him, ‘Can you give me something to take into space?’ NASA placed the Trinity swimming T-shirt in a plastic bag and the cap turned out to be useful because the sun is bright in space.”

            Foreman was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998. The U.S. Naval Academy graduate, who also earned a master of science in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, had served as a test pilot. His trip in March, which consisted of 250 orbits over nearly 16 days, was Foreman’s first foray in space. Included in his spacewalk duties was installation of the pressurized component of the Kibo Laboratory.

            Jack and his mother, Lorrie, were able to witness the launching on March 11 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

            “Watching the flight in person is a lot different than on TV,” Jack Foreman said. “With my dad on board, it was unreal.”

            Jack returned to Trinity to resume his classes. His mom called David Tuttle, Trinity’s Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life, to be the point man in case the younger Foreman was needed. She was referring to a possible sign of trouble, which thankfully never occurred. Tuttle, though, was ready to help if necessary.

            Michael Foreman decided to present the space-traveling cap to Tuttle, at the William H. Bell Athletic Center, thanking him for his support.

            “Anyone who serves our country as an astronaut deserves our respect and admiration,” Tuttle said. “I find it very touching that his son’s experience here led him to take Trinity items to outer space and back. I sure appreciate his ‘out-of-this world’ support for Trinity.”

            Ryan was equally as happy that Trinity swimming and athletics were represented in space.

            “My initial reaction was that he took Trinity athletics to a whole new level,” Ryan said. His note on the photo said, ‘Shoot for the stars.’”

            Foreman presented Tuttle and Ryan with certificates of authenticity to prove the items traveled in space.

            Immediately following the presentation ceremony at Trinity, Foreman was headed to Cleveland for a big reunion of astronauts. Foreman’s hometown is Wadsworth, Ohio, a state which has produced a number of distinguished space travelers. Among the attendees scheduled to participate in the festivities were fellow Ohio natives John Glenn, Neil Armstrong and James Lovell.