STS066-66-005 (3-14 Nov 1994) --- On the Space Shuttle Atlantis' flight deck, Jean-François Clervoy, mission specialist representing the European Space Agency (ESA), moves a platform for the recumbent seat device which was being evaluated for a future Space Shuttle flight. The platform is just part of the mid-deck arrangement designed to accommodate crew members when the Space Shuttle docks with Russia's Mir Space Station next year. Other crew members onboard Atlantis for the 11-day day Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-3) mission were astronauts Donald R. McMonagle, Curtis L. Brown, Jr., Ellen Ochoa, Scott E. Parazynski and Joseph R. Tanner.

STS032-30-024 (17 Jan 1990) --- Astronaut Daniel C. Brandenstein, STS-32 mission commander, holds up a card signed by friends in the astronaut office and around JSC. The commander celebrated his 47th birthday on January 17, 1990, about two thirds the way through an eleven-day mission in Earth orbit aboard Columbia. Brandenstein is seated at the commander's station.

STS034-06-025 (18-23 Oct. 1989) --- Astronaut Donald E. Williams spent a portion of the five-day STS-34 flight at Atlantis' commander's station and, as evidenced by his countenance in this posed photo, appeared to enjoy his second spaceflight, his first as a mission commander. Astronaut Michael J. McCulley, pilot, leans over the pilot's station at right. This 35mm scene was in the first 12 photos released by NASA on Oct. 24, 1989.

STS045-02-020 (24 March-2 April 1992) --- Brian Duffy, STS-45 pilot, struggles with a large volume of data printouts from the teleprinter system. He is seated at the commander's station on the flight deck of the Earth-orbiting Atlantis during the nine-day mission. This frame was taken with a 35mm camera.

STS031-101-053 (24-29 April 199) --- A 35mm camera equipped with a "fish-eye" lens captured this view on Discovery's flight deck featuring astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan with a Hasselblad camera on forward flight deck and astronaut Loren J. Shriver, pen in hand, amending flight data on aft flight deck.

STS-36 Commander John O. Creighton, smiling and wearing a headset, listens to music as the tape recorder freefloats in front of him. During this lighter moment of the mission, Creighton is positioned at the commanders station on the forward flight deck of Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104. Forward flight deck windows W1 and W2 appear on his left. Creighton and four other astronauts spent four days, 10 hours and 19 minutes aboard the spacecraft for the Department of Defense (DOD) devoted mission.

STS035-515-003 (2-10 Dec 1990) --- STS-35 Pilot Guy S. Gardner, wearing his launch and entry suit (LES), reviews descent checklist while at the pilots station on the forward flight deck of Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102. Crewmembers are conducting procedures related to the final stages of the mission and the landing sequence. Silhouetted in forward windows W4 and W5 are the head up display (HUD), flight mirror assembly, and a drinking water bag with straw.

STS003-22-113 (24 March 1982) --- Astronaut Gordon Fullerton, STS-3 pilot, wearing communication kit assembly mini-headset (HDST), sleeps on aft flight deck resting his back against the floor and his feet against commander's ejection seat (S1) back. On-orbit station control panel A8 and payload station panel L15 appear above Fullerton. Special clips for holding notebooks open and beverage containers are velcroed on various panels. Photo credit: NASA

STS042-45-033 (30 Jan. 1992) --- Astronauts Ronald J. Grabe (left) and Stephen S. Oswald man the commander and pilot stations, respectively, during the entry phase of the STS-42 mission. The pink glow through the front windows telltale of friction caused heat encountered upon passing through Earth's atmosphere on the return trip home.

Craig R. Bomben became a pilot in the Flight Crew Branch of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., in June 2001. His flying duties include a variety of research and support activities while piloting the F/A-18, DC-8, T-34C and King Air aircraft. He has more than 17 years and 3,800 hours of military and civilian flight experience in over 50 different aircraft types. Bomben came to NASA Dryden from a U.S. Navy assignment to the Personnel Exchange Program, Canada. He served as a test pilot in the Canadian Armed Forces located in Cold Lake, Alberta. He participated in numerous developmental programs to include CT-133 airborne ejection seat testing, F/A-18 weapons flutter testing and F/A-18 night vision goggles integration. Bomben performed U.S. Navy fleet service in 1995 as a strike-fighter department head. He completed two overseas deployments onboard the USS George Washington and USS Stennis. As a combat strike leader, he headed numerous multi-national missions over Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch. Bomben graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1992 and was subsequently assigned to the Naval Weapons Test Squadron at Pt. Mugu, Calif. During this tour he developed the F-14D bombsight and worked on various other F-14D and F/A-18 weapon systems developmental programs. Bomben is a 1985 graduate of Washington State University with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He graduated from naval flight training in 1987 and was recognized as a Commodore List graduate. His first assignment was to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., where he was an instructor in the T-2B Buckeye. When selected to fly the F/A-18 in 1989, he joined a fleet squadron and deployed aboard the USS Forrestal. Bomben is married to the former Aissa Asuncion. They live in Lancaster, Calif., with their 3 children.