PERSONAL DATA: Born August 15, 1959 in Lincoln, Illinois. Married to the former Jill Shannon Loomer of Tucson, Arizona. They have three children. Enjoys classic automobiles, flying and computers. Avid reader and sports fan/participant. Hometown is Pekin, Illinois, where his parents, Fred and Sharon Altman, currently reside.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Pekin Community High School, Pekin, Illinois in 1977; received bachelor of science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Illinois in May 1981, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in June 1990.

ORGANIZATIONS: University of Illinois Alumni Association, Sigma Chi Alumni Association, life member Association of Naval Aviation and Military Order of the World Wars, full member Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

SPECIAL HONORS: Navy Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, 1987 Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Tactical Aviation as selected by the Association of Naval Aviation.

EXPERIENCE: Altman was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy following completion of Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, in August 1981. Following training in Florida and Texas, he received his Navy wings of gold in February 1983 and was ordered to NAS Miramar in San Diego, California, to fly the F-14. Attached to Fighter Squadron 51, Altman completed two deployments to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. In August 1987, he was selected for the Naval Postgraduate School-Test Pilot School Coop program and graduated with Test Pilot School Class 97 in June 1990 as a Distinguished Graduate. After graduation, he spent the next two years as a test pilot working on various F-14 projects such as the air to ground separation effort, and aft center of gravity flying qualities evaluation, as well as the Navy evaluation of the Air Force F-15 S/MTD technology demonstrator. Selected to help take the new F-14D on its first operational deployment, his next assignment was to VF-31 at NAS Miramar where he served as Maintenance Officer and later Operations Officer. Altman was awarded the Navy Air Medal for his role as a strike leader flying over Southern Iraq in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Shortly following his return from this six month deployment, he was selected for the astronaut program. He has logged over 4000 flight hours in more than 40 types of aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in December 1994, Altman reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. He completed a year of training and was initially assigned to work technical aspects of orbiter landing and roll out issues for the Astronaut Office Vehicle Systems Branch. Twice flown, Altman has logged over 664 hours in space. He was the pilot on STS-90 in 1998, and STS-106 in 2000. Altman will command the crew of STS-109 who will upgrade and service the Hubble Space Telescope. STS-109 is scheduled for launch early in 2002.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-90 Neurolab (April 17 to May 3, 1998). During the 16-day Spacelab flight the seven person crew aboard Space Shuttle Columbia served as both experiment subjects and operators for 26 individual life science experiments focusing on the effects of microgravity on the brain and nervous system. The STS-90 flight orbited the Earth 256 times, and covered 6.3 million miles in over 381 hours.

STS-106 Atlantis (September 8-20, 2000). During the 12-day mission, the crew successfully prepared the International Space Station for the arrival of the first permanent crew. The five astronauts and two cosmonauts delivered more than 6,600 pounds of supplies and installed batteries, power converters, a toilet and a treadmill on the Space Station. Altman was one of two operators of the robot arm transporting the EVA crew during the spacewalk. Additionally, he handflew two complete flyarounds of the station after performing the undocking from the station. STS-106 orbited the Earth 185 times, and covered 4.9 million miles in 11 days, 19 hours, and 10 minutes.