Astronaut Michael Fincke Returns to His Sewickley Alma Mater

Students at got an up close look at the universe and the encouragement to shoot for the stars during a visit Friday from Air Force Col. Michael Fincke.

Fincke, 44, an Emsworth native and local hero, returned to Earth June 1 following a 17-day journey in space, making history and for spending more days in space than any other American.

On Friday, he returned to his Sewickley alma mater and speaking to students in Rea Auditorium about his adventures and encouraging them to follow their dreams. Fincke said becoming an astronaut was his dream from the time he was a little kid at Sewickley Academy.

“I used to sit in the same seats," Fincke told students. “I had a plan to go fly in space, and my plan worked out.”

Students listened closely as Fincke described his years at and his trips into space years later. The presentation included vivid slides of the universe and pictures taken from within and outside the shuttle.

Fincke also showed an 18-minute video packed with images that summed up his last trip into space and helped bring the experience down to Earth for students. 

Fincke shared shots of himself and fellow astronauts goofing around, spinning freely, catching M&Ms in their mouths and locking some of the candies inside suspended drops of water.

One image showed Fincke in an "I heart Carnegie Science Center" T-shirt with a ball of water dangling just a few inches from his face. Another image captured Hurricane Ivan, which Fincke was able to see from space.

At a final assembly with Senior School students, Fincke presented two gifts, a presentation board identical to those given to Pope Benedict XVI and the White House, and a red “spirit flag” that bears the words “Sewickley Academy” and official lettering from NASA. The flag, still protected in packaging, accompanied Fincke on the space shuttle Endeavour and has a certificate of authentication to prove it.

“This flag flew in space, and we flew it for you,” Fincke said.

Fincke made his own path. In seventh grade, he said, he believed he was destined to do great things. He worked hard, studied hard and held onto his dreams.

“I was going to get to space,” he said.

He was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Air Force paid for his tuition and books. He flipped burgers through school to pay for room and board while earning an Aerospace Engineering degree. Halfway through, he decided to tackle another major and earned a second degree in Earth Atmosphere and Planetary Science.

Fincke drove home the point that he never gave up, even at his ultimate low point when he was kicked out of fighter pilot training on his birthday. He instead found another path and applied to Air Force test pilot school, where he was accepted as an engineer. The program was looking for an engineer who spoke Russian, and he fit the bill.

“Turns out, I found a second way to become an astronaut,” Fincke said.

By 1996, before he was 30, Fincke said he’d already landed his dream job. He has since gone on four space walks and says “2.4 percent of my life” was spent aboard the International Space Station, with the Endeavour mission being his last flight.

Fincke was aboard the space shuttle Endeavour from May 16 to June 1 with five others, including Cmdr. Mark Kelly, whose wife, , is still recovering from an assassination attempt earlier this year in Arizona. Fincke and other astronauts who flew the mission this summer attended a ceremony Tuesday at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, where the Endeavour will be permanently housed.

Fincke said he was influenced by his experiences at the academy and encouraged to pursue his dream. He told academy students they too can fulfill all their dreams because they have the tools they need.

“There’s no destiny in life. We write our own books," he said. 

“Sewickley Academy is a school that really teaches you…in getting ready for the real world.” 

Fincke took questions from students, who wanted to know how he was able to sleep standing up and if he felt strange when he returned to Earth. Fincke said he had no troubles with either of those.

“Once you close your eyes, you don’t know if you’re sleeping upside down or not,” he said.

Although NASA retired the space shuttle program in July, Fincke believes there will be future American space missions, such as flights to Mars, while private companies will build rockets and offer shorter orbital trips. Those flights would give more people a chance to taste space, the sensation of being weightless and looking down at the Earth.

“It’s certainly the most beautiful planet in the solar system,” he said.

Fincke and his wife have three children and live in Texas, but he said it’s always a treat to return to Pittsburgh. While visiting family and this weekend, he plans to take his son to the Pittsburgh Steelers game, which will be Fincke’s second. These days, he spends his time sharing his story and training others in space travel.

Fincke believes America will return to space in a few years. He hopes to fly again, but said he realizes he’s at the end of the list.  

“In the meantime, I hope to support those who do fly,” he said.