As a European Space Agency astronaut, Cheli flew as a Mission Specialist on STS-75. Michael Bloomfield completed his undergraduate pilot training at Vance in 1983. He served as pilot of STS- 86 and STS-97. In 2002, Bloomfield commanded the STS-110 mission to the ISS. Ronald Garan finished his undergraduate pilot training at Vance in 1985. He served as a Mission Specialist on STS-124. Then on his second mission he Vance Air Force Base is located in north central Oklahoma in the city flew to the International Space Station on the Soyuz of Enid. Courtesy Vance AFB. TMA-21 and served for five months as part of Expedition 27/28, returning to Earth on TMA-21. Michael Anderson took his pilot training at Vance in 1986. He flew on STS-89 as a Mission Specialist. On STS- 107, Anderson would be killed along with his crewmates when Columbia broke up during re-entry. Rick Husband reported to Vance in 1980 for pilot training. He was born in Amarillo, Texas, so he wasn’t far from home. His future wife, Evelyn, flew to visit him in Enid during the summer of 1981. He proposed to her and they were married after he finished at Vance. Husband flew as pilot on STS-96 and commanded the ill-fated mission of STS-107. That mission ended in disaster when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up on Rick Husband commanded the fatal mission of STS-107. The entire crew re-entry, killing all on board in 2002. was lost when Shuttle Columbia broke up on reentry. Courtesy NASA. The legacy of Vance AFB will always include the fact that it was a part of America’s space program. Several Dr. Shannon Lucid set records for longest time in space. Courtesy NASA. Air Force pilots who did their pilot training at Vance eventually became astronauts. The later ASCAN training for Shuttle Mission Specialists would make the trip from Houston to Enid, Oklahoma, a necessary step to gain knowledge and experience that would assist them on their journey to space. And, it was an Oklahoman, Duane Ross, who oversaw that training program. Many future astronauts passed through the gates of Vance for pilot training or for ASCAN training. You could easily say that the way to get to space was through Enid, Oklahoma. 20