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Whether hiking in the mountains or walking in space, astronaut Steve Swanson鈥檚 (EngrPhys鈥�83) life is full of adventure.

鈥淕rowing up in Steamboat Springs, Colo., I loved to explore 鈥� it was always interesting,鈥� Steve says. 鈥淚 think exploration is innate in human beings.鈥�

Between June 6, 2007, and March 28, 2009, Steve participated in the Atlantis and Discovery missions to the International Space Station. He logged 643 hours in space during these missions and took four spacewalks, two each time. His first spacewalk stunned him.

鈥淵ou look out and the sun comes up and you can see the station with the Earth below,鈥� he said in a preflight interview with NASA. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 work for a few minutes. I just stopped and looked and took everything in.鈥�

The tasks on Discovery were similar to the Atlantis mission, but he had more responsibility as the lead spacewalker.

鈥淚t was a fantastic thing, a great accomplishment and privilege, being able to connect the solar array,鈥� he reflects. 鈥淭housands of people were involved in making this Discovery mission a reality and then they got to see it come to fruition.鈥�

Back on Earth, he mows his yard just like his neighbors. For him, being an astronaut is 鈥渏ust a job鈥� that keeps him away from home a lot. He鈥檚 proud his employer, NASA, makes a profit for this country. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a return on investment, a spinoff of products,鈥� he notes.

Steve says his CU undergraduate years helped him grow up, learn to be responsible for his own actions and figure out how to prioritize.

鈥淚 learned how the real world works,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a good test to learn to accomplish what you need to even with distractions.鈥�

From systems and flight engineer with NASA working on the Shuttle Training Aircraft to being the guy who trains other astronauts for their missions, Steve鈥檚 jobs have kept him on the move. Although he hopes to go on another space mission, he鈥檚 working on other technical jobs involving spacewalks and as a spacecraft communicator.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always something new each day,鈥� he notes.

The job requires Steve and his family to live in Houston. His three children enjoy watching his missions but don鈥檛 like the launches. He doesn鈥檛 Tweet from space but does phone home.

鈥淥h, yeah, mom, I forgot to tell you dad called,鈥� he chuckles, remembering a very long-distance conversation with his daughter while on his first mission.