Daniel M. Tani
Daniel Michio Tani ( born February 1, 1961 in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, USA) is an American astronaut.
Tani in 1984 he received a bachelor's degree and four years later a master's in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After receiving his bachelor's degree, he worked for two years as a design engineer at Hughes Aircraft in the Space and Communications Group in California. After Tani was for the consultant company Bolt Beranek and Newman in Cambridge (Massachusetts ) and then for Orbital Sciences (OSC ) active in Dulles ( Virginia). When the OSC, he was responsible for the upper TOS, the ACTS satellite ( Advanced Communications Technology Satellite ) transported into orbit in 1993. This Tani worked for the Space Shuttle mission STS -51 closely with the Johnson Space Center (JSC ) NASA. Then Tani looked even with the development of the Pegasus rocket at OSC.
Astronauts activity
In April 1996, he was selected as astronaut candidate by NASA. After training as a mission specialist at JSC in 1998, he took over duties in the IT department of the Astronaut Office and in the preparation of spacewalks. He is in charge in the support teams, the astronauts of the ISS Expedition 2
STS -108
On 5 December 2001, he flew as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station (ISS). STS -108 brought the crew of the ISS Expedition 4 to the ISS, bringing the Expedition -3- spaceman again. With the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module were brought over three tons of supplies and science experiments to the space station. During the twelve-day flight Tani also undertook a four-hour outboard activity to attach insulation blankets on the solar modules.
ISS Expedition 16
Tani was divided for the ISS Expedition 16 for a six-week short stay as a flight engineer on the International Space Station. He started on 23 October 2007 aboard STS -120 and should return in mid-December with STS- 122 missions. Technical problems led to a two-month postponement of the shuttle mission. Therefore Tanis station stay lasted four months. He landed with STS -122 on February 20, 2008.
Private
Tani and his wife Jane have three children. During his stay on the ISS died on 19 December 2007 his mother.