[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ASTRONAUT JOSEPH TANNER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 29, 2006

  Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
achievements of NASA astronaut, Joseph Tanner for his outstanding 
service to his country in the name of space exploration, including his 
recent mission to the International Space Station on the Space Shuttle 
Atlantis.
  Joseph Tanner was born in Illinois in 1950 and graduated from 
Danville High School in Danville, Illinois in 1968. He pursued a 
mechanical engineering degree from the University of Illinois 
graduating in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Upon graduation, 
Mr. Tanner joined the Navy where he earned his pilot wings in 1975 
before serving as an A-7E pilot with the Light Attack Squadron 94 
aboard the U.S.S. Coral Sea. He finished his active service with the 
Navy as an advanced jet instructor pilot with Training Squadron 4 in 
Pensacola, Florida.
  In 1984, Mr. Tanner began working for the NASA Johnson Space Center 
as an aerospace engineer and research pilot. His primary flying 
responsibilities involved teaching the astronaut pilots Space Shuttle 
landing techniques in the Shuttle Training Aircraft and instructing the 
pilots and mission specialists in the T-38. In addition to his flying 
duties, Mr. Tanner held positions as the aviation safety officer, the 
head of the pilot section, and the Deputy Chief of Aircraft Operations 
Division. In total, Mr. Tanner has accumulated an impressive no less 
than 8,862 hours in military and NASA aircraft.
  Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in March 1992, Mr. Tanner 
reported to the Astronaut Office in August 1992 where he completed one 
year of initial training and worked in the Shuttle Avionics Integration 
Laboratory before being assigned to his first mission. Mr. Tanner also 
served as part of the Astronaut Support Personnel team at the Kennedy 
Space Center, supporting Space Shuttle launches and landings. 
Throughout his NASA career, Mr. Tanner has participated in four space 
flight missions.
  The most recent space flight Mr. Tanner flew on was STS-115, the 
Space Shuttle Atlantis. Atlantis launched on September 9, 2006 with six 
crew members to continue construction on the International Space 
Station. The 12 day mission included several space walks to construct 
crucial components to ensure the future of the International Space 
Station, including the installation of two solar arrays to assist the 
station in generating power. Mr. Tanner performed two space walks on 
this particular mission, bringing his total number of space walks to 
seven. Atlantis landed in Florida at the Kennedy Shuttle Landing 
Facility on September 21, 2006 in the early morning. The Space Shuttle 
Atlantis accomplished its mission of delivering the first major new 
component to the International Space Station since 2002 and laid 
important groundwork for upcoming station construction.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the crew of the 
Space Shuttle Atlantis and especially to astronaut, Joseph Tanner.

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