International Space Station astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and his wife Renita became parents for the second time Friday, June 18. Unable to contain his paternal pride, Fincke altered the beacon message on the RS0ISS Amateur Radio packet system aboard the spacecraft to transmit “It’s a girl! Tarali Fincke” about once every minute as the ISS circled Earth.
“Sure beats a stork sign in the front yard,” quipped ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ranson, N5VHO, at Johnson Space Center. Fincke is the first US astronaut to celebrate the birth of a child from space. Father’s Day was Sunday, June 20. Tarali is the couple’s second child. She’ll join a brother, Chandra, in the Fincke household.
Fincke said his childrens’ names have astronomical significance. “Her name is Tarali Paulina, and Tara is the Indian dialect meaning star,” he radioed Mission Control in Houston shortly after the birth. “Our first boy, his name is Chandra, which means moon. So, my wife had already given me the moon, and now she’s given me a star, and it’s a privilege to happen aboard the International Space Station.”
Of Indian heritage, Renita Fincke, an engineer for Wyle Laboratories, works at Johnson Space Center. Until her husband returns to Earth in October, she says she’ll help him experience the first few months of their daughter’s life via teleconferences, video and e-mails.
“This is a wonderful, exciting adventure for both of us,” she said. “I hope that everything is successful for his mission, that he comes home safely.” The couple has been married since 1999.
NASA and Russian mission controllers extended congratulations to Fincke, who is NASA ISS science officer and flight engineer. He and ISS Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, have been in space since April.
US and Russian flight controllers decided to end Expedition 9’s first spacewalk June 24 after about 14 minutes when it was observed that Fincke’s primary oxygen bottle was losing pressure faster than expected. The crew will try again the week of June 28.
More info is available on the NASA Web site
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/fincke_baby.html