Photo: NASA Johnson Space Center/Robert Markowitz / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Michael Barratt is the rare person who earns my admiration twice over. A physician trained in internal and aerospace medicine, he first looked after astronauts' bodies as a NASA flight surgeon before flying to space himself. That progression gives his work an authority few can match. He helped build the very medical systems that keep humans alive aboard the International Space Station, which means he designed the safety net before stepping onto it. The Aries pioneer streak shows. Still being honored with fellowships in his sixties tells me his curiosity never cooled, and I find that lifelong drive genuinely inspiring.
Overview
Michael Reed Barratt (born April 16, 1959) is an American physician and a NASA astronaut. Board certified in internal and aerospace medicine, he served as a flight surgeon for NASA before his selection as an astronaut and has played a role in developing NASA's space medicine programs for both the Shuttle–Mir program and International Space Station.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Michael Barratt
- Name (Japanese)
- マイケル・バラット
- Reading
- まいける・ばらっと
- Born
- April 16, 1959 (age 67)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Boar
- Origin
- Vancouver, Washington, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- astronaut / physician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Camas High School
- University
- University of Washington
Awards & achievements
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"
- 2009 NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- 2024 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Astronaut — see all → · Physician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.