Michael Foreman (astronaut)

American astronaut

Michael James Foreman (born March 29, 1957) is a retired U. S. Navy pilot and a NASA astronaut. While with NASA, Foreman was part of a mission that delivered the Japanese Experiment Module and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator to the International Space Station. Foreman was also a crewmember of the STS 129 mission in November 2009. In 2018, he was elected mayor of Friendswood, Texas; he was re elected to a second 3 year term in 2021. He is running unopposed and will serve a third 3 year term beginning in 2024.

Foreman was born in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio. He is married to Lorrie Dancer of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His wife Lorrie is a civil engineer. They have three children.

Foreman was designated a Naval Aviator in January 1981 and assigned to Patrol Squadron 23 (VP 23) at NAS Brunswick, Maine. He made deployments to Rota, Spain; Lajes, Azores; Bermuda and Panama. Following this tour he attended the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California where he earned a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1986. As a graduate student, Foreman conducted thesis research at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California. Following graduation he was assigned as the Assistant Air Operations Officer aboard Coral Sea homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition to his Air Operations duties, he flew as an E 2 Hawkeye pilot with VAW 120 and VAW 127. Upon selection to the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1989, he moved to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. He graduated in June 1990 and was assigned to the Force Warfare Aircraft Test Directorate. In 1991 he was reassigned as a flight instructor and the Operations Officer at U. S. Naval Test Pilot School. During his tenure there he instructed in the F/A 18, P 3 Orion, T 2, T 38 Talon, U 21, DHC 2 and the X 26 Frigate glider. He has logged over 7,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft. The STS 123 Endeavour mission launched in November 2008 and delivered the Japanese Experiment Module and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator to the International Space Station. During the mission, Foreman performed three Extrvehicular Activities (EVAs): the first in support of assembly of Dextre; the second to assess experimental tile materials; and the third to relocate the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. Foreman was also a crewmember of the STS 129 mission in November 2009. STS 129 was the first flight of an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier that are designed to support equipment deliveries for the International Space Station. As a mission specialist on the flight, Foreman performed two additional EVAs bringing his total experience between two flights to five spacewalks. The two spacewalks added 12 hours and 45 minutes to his EVA time

A veteran of two space flights, Foreman has logged more than 637 hours in space, including 32 hours and 19 minutes of EVA in five spacewalks.

Retiring from NASA, Foreman joined Venturi Outcomes, LLC, a Houston based construction project management and consulting firm started by his wife. In 2018, Foreman was elected mayor of Friendswood, Texas. He ran unopposed and was re elected to a second three year term in 2021.

Foreman is a member of the Association of Naval Aviation, United States Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and the Association of Space Explorers. He has received the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal; Navy Achievement Medal and various other service awards. He graduated with Distinction from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School; received the Admiral William Adger Moffett Aeronautics Award, U. S. Naval Postgraduate School; was a Distinguished Graduate from the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School; and received the Empire Test Pilots School sponsored award for best final report (DT IIA) while at the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School.