Two decades after his graduation from UCCS, John B. Herrington became the first citizen of a Federally-recognized tribe to fly in space.
A retired Navy Commander, naval aviator, test pilot, aquanaut and astronaut, Herrington is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and completed three spacewalks in 2022.
After graduating in 1983 with an applied mathematics degree, Herrington joined the navy and embarked on the path that would eventually lead him to NASA.
“I found that with the mathematics background, I had that analytical problem-solving process and it paid huge dividends throughout my career both as a naval aviator and astronaut,” said Herrington. “I worked for NASA for nine years, initially on a GPS/INS Integration for the space shuttle, then went on to work at the Kennedy Space Center as what was known as a ‘Caped Crusader.'”
In his Caped Crusader role, John was one of the last people astronauts saw before takeoff and one of the first to welcome them back. After a few years in that position, it was his turn to take a spacewalk – and experience the 300-pound space suit.
“I helped strap my colleagues into the space shuttle, pat them on the head, close the hatch and watch them lift off, and then recover them when they came home,” said John said with a chuckle. “While there, I was assigned to SDS 113 as a mission specialist. I got to fly on the space shuttle in 2002 to the International Space Station (ISS) and do three spacewalks in the process.”
A few special items accompanied Herrington on his trip to space – an eagle feather with symbolic beading and a Rivercane flute made by a Cherokee friend who was also an engineer at the Kennedy Space Center. These now reside in the Smithsonian and National Museum of the American Indian.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would come to fruition,” said John. “I am blessed that I had the opportunity to go to school here. Whatever I’ve done in my life, the people and school here made a difference.”
A member of the Class of 1983, Herrington holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from UCCS, a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Idaho. Herrington also received an honorary doctorate from UCCS in 2003.
John Herrington is a distinguished alumnus who delivered the fall 2024 commencement keynote speech. View a list of other notable alumni here.