The Dent Conference, an annual gathering dedicated to those who are “making a dent in the universe”, is sponsoring the talk.
Timothy L. Kopra returned from the International Space Station on June 19, after serving as a flight engineer on Expedition 46 and commander of Expedition 47. He is also a veteran of Expedition 20. For that mission, he launched with the STS-127 crew and returned to Earth after a 2-month stay with the crew of STS‑128. Selected as an astronaut in 2000, the Austin, Texas native was also in the U.S. Army where he served as commander and Operations Officer of the attack helicopter company, Developmental Test Director for the Comanche helicopter program, in addition to attending U.S. Naval Test Pilot School among other duties.
Tim’s talk will focus on his experiences onboard the ISS – including his time performing spacewalks — as well as his education and training in preparation for his current role. Since the International Space Station is a multi-nation effort, Tim will also discuss the importance of teamwork in making the ISS a successful operation.
In addition, Dawn Kopra, wife of Col. Kopra will also speak to how she and Tim work as a team despite long periods of time apart, and managing the inherent stresses of such perilous work.