Kenneth Ham

Kenneth Todd Ham (born December 12, 1964) is a retired American astronaut and a captain in the United States Navy. Ham was selected for NASA's astronaut program in August 1998, while serving as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet lead carrier suitability test pilot. Ham's aviator call sign is "Hock". Ham traveled to space twice as part of the Space Shuttle program. He flew on STS-124 as pilot and then on STS-132 as mission commander.

Early life and education Ken Ham was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, to Ed and Marion Ham. He graduated from Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark, New Jersey in 1983, where he had started taking flying lessons at the suggestion of a high school guidance counselor.

He then went on to the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering. In 1996, he earned a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. A Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Ham is also a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

Military career After earning his commission as an ensign in the U.S. Navy in May 1987, Ham received flight training in T-34C, T-2C, and TA-4J aircraft. Ham was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1989, and subsequently received F/A-18 Hornet training. His operational assignments included stints with strike fighter squadrons VFA-132 and VFA-105.

He also flew as the commander of mission STS-132, which launched on May 14, 2010 and landed on May 26, 2010. The STS-132 mission completed in 186 orbits and delivered the Russian-built Mini Research Module (MRM1) to the ISS.

Upon completion of his second spaceflight, Ham was assigned to the NASA Aircraft Operations Division as a T-38N instructor pilot and WB-57F research pilot. As of July 2013, Captain Ham served as the Chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department at the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland. In September 2014, Ham joined Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas, Nevada to develop a training program for astronauts that would support Bigelow's proposed space habitats. 2015 to present, he has worked in Tactical Air Support Inc first as a consultant, then as Director Technology Development, then GM of Flight Operations and is currently the Chief Operating Officer.

Personal life Ham's recreational interests include baseball, running, weight lifting, general aviation, snow skiing, water skiing, skydiving and scuba diving. On October 7, 2014, Ham was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame for his contributions to spaceflight and aviation throughout his career. Also in his spare time, he has been the resident astronaut on the ISSET run program Mission Discovery, where he shares his experiences with teenagers and tries to help them learn new skills throughout the length of time the program runs.