Commander Christopher Cassidy, astronaut with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), visited the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today. He told a captivated audience about the selection process to become an astronaut, life at NASA prior to mission assignment, the training involved and the mission itself. He also discussed his experience with the International Space Station.

Commander Cassidy was born in 1970. In 1993, he graduated from the US Naval Academy with a BS degree in Mathematics. Thereafter he pursued his MS studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he graduated in 2000 with an MS in Ocean Engineering. In 2004 he was selected by NASA for astronaut training, which he completed in 2006. His first space mission was in 2009 and he has performed three space walks totaling over 18 hours.

US Astronaut Christopher Cassidy talks about his recent space mission	Commander Cassidy (right) presents a NASA souvenir to Acting President Prof SY Cheng
Commander Cassidy autographing for enthusiastic audiences	Commander Cassidy at the HKUST entrance piazza