South King News

Chris Cassidy, a veteran astronaut with extensive experience in space exploration, will be sharing his journey and insights during an event scheduled for January 18. Cassidy's career includes three missions to the International Space Station (ISS) between 2009 and 2020, where he completed ten spacewalks and served as Commander for Expedition 63. His time in space totals 377 days, during which he flew on both the space shuttle and the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

Before joining NASA in 2004, Cassidy was part of the U.S. Navy SEALs Team for eleven years. He has been deployed twice to the Mediterranean and twice to Afghanistan. For his service, he received honors such as the Bronze Star with combat 'V' and a Presidential Unit Citation for leading a significant operation at the Zharwar Kili Cave on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

During his first mission, STS-127, Cassidy was recognized as the 500th person to fly into space. This mission delivered key components to the ISS, including the Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility (JEM-EF). On Expedition 35, alongside European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, Cassidy participated in an unplanned spacewalk that was cut short due to a helmet leak.

Cassidy's experiences are documented in "Among the Stars," a Disney+ documentary released in 2021. The upcoming event featuring him is part of a series organized by a museum that is concluding its Home Beyond Earth exhibit on January 26. Other astronauts featured include Cady Coleman on January 11 and Nicole Stott on January 25.

Tickets for Chris Cassidy's presentation are priced at $25 for general admission and $15 for museum members. The event will begin at 6 p.m., with live ASL interpretation available.