PERSONAL DATA: Born in 1970 in Salem, Massachusetts. Considers York, Maine, to be his hometown.
EDUCATION: Graduated from York High School, York, Maine; completed Naval Academy Prep School, Newport, Rhode Island, 1989; received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, U.S. Naval Academy, 1993; received a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000, Honorary PHD from Hussein University, 2015.
ORGANIZATIONS: U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association; Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alumni Association; Fraternal Order of Underwater Demoliton Team (UDT)/Sea, Air, Land Team (SEAL) Association.
SPECIAL HONORS: Honor graduate of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Class 192; awarded the Bronze Star with combat ‘V’ and Presidential Unit Citation for leading a nine-day operation at the Zharwar Kili cave complex on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border; guest speaker at the U.S. Naval Academy Combat Leadership Seminar, 2003 & 2004; awarded a second Bronze Star for combat leadership service in Afghanistan, 2004; Recipient of NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal. Finisher in the Ironman World Championship triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, 2014.
MILITARY EXPERIENCE: Ten years as a member of the U.S. Navy SEALs Team. He made four six-month deployments: two to Afghanistan, and two to the Mediterranean. Cassidy served as Executive Officer and Operations Officer of Special Boat Team Twenty in Norfolk, Virginia, and SEAL platoon commander at SEAL Team THREE in Coronado, California. He deployed to the Afghanistan region two weeks after September 11, 2001, served as ground assault force commander for international and U.S. only combat missions in Afghanistan, and led two months of noncompliant ship-boarding in the Northern Arabian Gulf. He was SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) platoon commander at SDV Team TWO in Norfolk. He accumulated more than 200 hours underwater as pilot/navigator/mission commander of a two-man flooded submersible SDV, which is launched and recovered from a host-ship submarine. He also served as dry deck shelter platoon commander at SEAL Delivery Team TWO in Norfolk. Cassidy volunteered to complete a week-long, 180-mile charity kayak paddle from Norfolk to Washington, D.C. to raise money and awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. He achieved the rank of Captain in 2014.
NASA EXPERIENCE (non-flight): Cassidy was selected as an astronaut by NASA in May 2004. In February 2006, he completed Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) training. From 2006 through 2008, he served as Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) in the Mission Control Center. In 2009 through 2011, Cassidy was assigned as the support astronaut on the Space Shuttle Closeout Crew tasked with strapping in the crew and closing and sealing the access hatch for flight. From 2014 to 2015, he served as the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) branch chief and in 2015 was assigned as the Deputy Chief, Astronaut Office. After serving four months as deputy, Cassidy became the 16th Chief Astronaut in July 2015.
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: Cassidy has flown in space twice: first on STS-127 and most recently on Soyuz (TMA- 8M). On STS-127, ISS assembly mission 2J/A, on Endeavour (July 15, 2009 through July 31, 2009), he served as a Mission Specialist and was the 500th person in history to fly into space. The crew delivered the Japanese-built Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) and the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section (ELM-ES) to the station. They completed the construction of the KIBO Japanese Experiment Module, installed scientific experiments on its exposed facility and delivered critical spare parts and replacement batteries. In 2011, Cassidy was assigned to the Expedition 35 crew as a flight engineer and flew to the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-08M (US designation: 34S), which launched from the Baikonur Commodore in Kazakhstan on March 28, 2013. The three crew members were the first to complete an expedited docking to the station – instead of taking the standard two days to rendezvous and dock, they arrived at the orbiting complex in six hours. Cassidy has completed a total of six spacewalks, but two were of particular note. On May 11, 2013, Cassidy and Thomas Marshburn performed an unplanned spacewalk to replace a pump controller box suspected to be the source of an ammonia coolant leak, and on July 16, 2013, he and Luca Parmitano had their EVA cut short when Parmitano had cooling water leaking into his helmet covering his face with water. Overall, Cassidy has accumulated 31 hours, 14 minutes of EVA time and 182 days in space.
