Michael J. Massimino
![Michael J. Massimino](/assets/img/authors/michael-j-massimino.jpg)
Michael J. Massimino
Michael James "Mike" Massiminois an American engineer and former NASA astronaut who is now a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University and the senior advisor of space programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Massimino is a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions, both of which serviced the Hubble Space Telescope, including the historic final repair mission...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAstronaut
Date of Birth19 August 1962
CountryUnited States of America
The Earth - from our altitude at Hubble, we're 350 miles up. We can see the curvature. We can see the roundness of our home, our home planet. And it's the most magnificent thing I've ever seen. It's like looking into Heaven. It's paradise.
I think the astronaut job is the best job in the world. I realized when I was older and started applying for it that it's a pretty cool job.
I had always been interested in the space program, and I didn't know if I could be an astronaut like I'd dreamt about when I was a little kid - to me it sounded kind of silly, someone grow up to be an astronaut - but, when I was in my 20s, I thought maybe I can get a job with NASA or a contractor, do something with the space program.