Wubbo Ockels, wearing a dark blue short-sleeved work shirt and light blue shorts, is seen floating partially inside a large white sleeping bag with the ESA logo on it.
#ASEspotlight: Wubbo Ockels 🌠
During STS-61-A in 1985, ASE member Ockels prepared for sleep in the special sleeping bag he designed himself.
Fun fact: He was the first Dutch citizen to travel into space!
Today, we remember Wubbo on his 80th birthday. ✨
Wearing a blue polo shirt, Ken Reightler, Jr., smiles as he holds a camera near the windows of Space Shuttle Discovery. The Earth is visible through the overhead windows.
#ASEspotlight: Ken Reightler, Jr. 💫
In September 1991, ASE Life Member Reightler took photos from the aft flight deck windows of Space Shuttle Discovery during STS-48.
Fun fact: He enjoys playing the guitar!
Happy 75th birthday, Ken! 🎉
Pic: UR3IRS, CC-BY-SA-3.0
#ASEspotlight: Musa Manarov 💫
ASE member Manarov attended an amateur radio festival in 2004.
Fun fact: He enjoys tennis!
Happy 75th birthday, Musa! 🎉
Pic: UR3IRS, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
#HappyBirthday to Dirk Frimout!
✨ 8️⃣5️⃣ 🎂 -E
#ASEspotlight
Dirk Frimout smiles for the camera while preparing a meal aboard the Space Shuttle. He is wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt and blue velcro shorts.
#ASEspotlight: Dirk Frimout 💫
In 1992, ASE member Frimout happily prepared a meal aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-45.
Fun fact: He enjoys chess!
Happy 85th birthday, Dirk! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to Loren Acton!
✨ 9️⃣0️⃣ 🎂 -E
#ASEspotlight
#ASEspotlight: Loren Acton 💫
In 1985, ASE Founding and Life Member Acton enjoyed a meal on the middeck of Space Shuttle Challenger during STS-51-F.
Fun fact: He grew up on a ranch in Montana!
Happy 90th birthday, Loren! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to James Adamson!
🎂 8️⃣0️⃣ 🚀 -E
#ASEspotlight
James Adamson smiles widely from underneath a space shuttle window while holding a large black camera.
#ASEspotlight: James Adamson 💫
ASE Life Member Adamson smiled widely as he posed for a photo by a window on the flight deck of Space Shuttle Atlantis while holding a Hasselblad camera in August 1991.
Fun fact: He enjoys long-distance running!
Happy 80th birthday, Jim! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to Jack Lousma, born on February 29th!
🎂 9️⃣0️⃣ 🥳 -E
#ASEspotlight
Hanging below a yellow and red parachute, Jack Lousma is wearing a blue flight suit and white helmet as he floats in the air against a bright blue sky.
#ASEspotlight: Jack Lousma 💫
In July 1978, ASE Life Member Lousma was suspended in the air by his parachute as he was pulled along behind a boat during a water survival training course in Florida.
Fun fact: He's a golfing enthusiast!
Happy (observed) 90th birthday, Jack! 🎉
#ASEspotlight: G. David Low 🌠
In June 1993, ASE member Low suited up aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour for his upcoming spacewalk during STS-57.
Fun fact: He enjoyed tennis and lacrosse!
Today, we remember him on his 70th birthday. ✨
#ASEspotlight: Konstantin Feoktistov 🌠
In October 1969, ASE members Feoktistov (left) and Georgi Beregovoi (center) joined Frank Borman for a gift exchange of a book and record of the first Moon landing at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Today, we remember Konstantin on his 100th birthday. ✨
Yuri Onufrienko, wearing a blue and gray jacket, smiles as an apple and two oranges float in front of him.
#ASEspotlight: Yuri Onufrienko 💫
In January 2002, ASE member Onufrienko smiled for the camera as fresh apples and oranges floated in front of him in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station.
Fun fact: He enjoys cooking!
Happy 65th birthday, Yuri! 🎉
Daniel Tani, wearing a NASA polo shirt and light work pants, smiles as he watches brown pieces of candy float in front of his face while holding a larger clear bag of the candies in his hand.
#ASEspotlight: Daniel Tani 💫
In February 2008, ASE member Tani smiled as he watched pieces of candy float freely aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-122.
Fun fact: He enjoys tennis!
Happy 65th birthday, Dan! 🎉
Leonid Kadenyuk, wearing a red polo shirt and a blue visor, works with small plants growing out of a black box aboard the Space Shuttle.
#ASEspotlight: Leonid Kadenyuk 🌠
Aboard Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-87, ASE member Kadenyuk worked with plants being grown for the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment in 1997.
Fun fact: He enjoyed running!
Today, we remember Leonid on his 75th birthday. ✨
Michael Coats, wearing a short-sleeve polo shirt, sits at the commander's station on the flight deck of the Space Shuttle with many documents both in his hands and floating around him, while he smiles for the camera.
#ASEspotlight: Michael Coats 💫
ASE Life Member Coats smiled for the camera as he updated the crew activity plan from the flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery in March 1989.
Fun fact: He became the 10th director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in November 2005!
Happy 80th birthday, Mike! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to Sergei Revin!
🎂 6️⃣0️⃣ ✨ -E
#ASEspotlight
Sergei Revin (left) and Joe Acaba play ping-pong while wearing blue flight suits.
#ASEspotlight: Sergei Revin 💫
At the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, ASE member Revin (left) plays ping-pong alongside fellow ASE member and crewmate Joe Acaba before their launch in May 2012.
Fun fact: He enjoys water skiing!
Happy 60th birthday, Sergei! 🎉
Talgat Musabayev, wearing a purple t-shirt, holds a brown guitar while aboard the Mir space station.
#ASEspotlight: Talgat Musabayev 🌠
In June 1998, ASE member Musabayev played the guitar aboard the Mir space station.
Fun fact: He received several awards as an aerobatic flyer!
Today, we remember Talgat on his 75th birthday. ✨
#HappyBirthday to Fred Gregory!
🎂 8️⃣5️⃣ 🥳 -E
#ASEspotlight
Frederick Gregory holds a long letter filled with drawings and Japanese characters while wearing a USAFA t-shirt aboard the Space Shuttle.
#ASEspotlight: Frederick Gregory 💫
In November 1989, ASE member Gregory showed off a letter of well-wishes from students in Japan while aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.
Fun fact: He enjoys specialty cars!
Happy 85th birthday, Fred! 🎉
Sergei Avdeev speaks into a microphone while wearing a suit jacket with medals. Pic: Svklimkin, CC BY-SA 4.0
#ASEspotlight: Sergei Avdeev 💫
ASE member Avdeev spoke at a children's library in April 2022.
Happy 70th birthday, Seryoga! 🎉
Pic: Svklimkin, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en
Oleg Artemiev (right) holds a cue stick as he lines up a shot on a billiards table while Drew Feustel (left) and Ricky Arnold (center) watch on. All three are wearing blue flight suits.
#ASEspotlight: Oleg Artemiev 💫
Shortly before the launch of Soyuz MS-08 in March 2018, ASE member Artemiev (right) played billiards with crewmates and fellow ASE members Drew Feustel (left) and Ricky Arnold (center) at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
Happy 55th birthday, Oleg! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to Naoko Yamazaki!
👋 5️⃣5️⃣ 🎂 -E
#ASEspotlight
Naoko Yamazaki smiles as she is seen through a window of the Cupola of the International Space Station.
#ASEspotlight: Naoko Yamazaki 💫
ASE Life Member Yamazaki smiled as she was seen looking out of a window from the Cupola of the International Space Station in April 2010.
Fun fact: She enjoys snow skiing!
Happy 55th birthday, Naoko! 🎉
Happy belated #birthday to Takuya Onishi!
🎂 5️⃣0️⃣ 🥳 -E
#ASEspotlight
#amateur #ham #radio
Wearing a striped collared shirt and tan pants, Takuya Onishi smiles as he holds a ham radio microphone as he floats aboard the International Space Station.
#ASEspotlight: Takuya Onishi 💫
In August 2025, ASE member Onishi (call sign KF5LKS) talked to students in Osaka, Japan, using an amateur (ham) radio aboard the International Space Station.
Fun fact: He enjoys playing the saxophone!
Happy 50th birthday, Takuya! 🎉
Millie Hughes-Fulford floats through the space shuttle with her arms extended in a "soaring" position while making an excited face and wearing a bright red shirt and blue shorts.
#ASEspotlight: Millie Hughes-Fulford 🌠
During STS-40, ASE member Hughes-Fulford soared through the Spacelab Life Sciences module aboard Space Shuttle Columbia in June 1991.
Fun fact: She enjoyed gardening and photography!
Today, we remember Millie on her 80th birthday. ✨
Cady Coleman holds a camera up to her eye as she points it out of a Cupola window aboard the International Space Station.
#ASEspotlight: Cady Coleman 💫
ASE Life Member Coleman took pictures from the Cupola of the International Space Station in April 2011 during her long-duration mission (Expedition 26/27).
Fun fact: She competed on MIT’s crew team in college!
Happy 65th birthday, Cady! 🎉
