Nebraskan astronaut Anderson confirms retirement

HASTINGS – Nebraska astronaut Clayton Anderson said plans for his future were up in the air after his retirement from a 30-year career with NASA.

Over his time with the agency, Anderson spent almost 170 days in space, including nearly 40 hours on spacewalks.

Anderson confirmed to the Hastings Tribune what he posted on his Twitter account: he’s leaving the national space agency.

“Anything is a possibility,” the 53-year-old Anderson said. “No doors are closed.”

He and his family will remain in Houston for now, he said, but they could move back to Nebraska. He’s looking forward to finishing a book he’s been writing for several years, and he will do some more public speaking.

“I’m looking forward to spending some time with my son and daughter and maybe doing some honey-dos that my wife will have ready for me,” Anderson said.

His career with NASA began in 1983 at the Johnson Space Center. Roughly half his work was as an engineer, half was as an astronaut.

Anderson spent about five months working aboard the International Space Station in 2007. In 2010, he was part of a 15-day resupply mission to the station, helping the crew of the shuttle Discovery drop off more than 27,000 pounds of supplies and equipment.

More recently, Anderson relayed messages and information to the space station crew and worked with newer astronauts on how to maneuver outside their vehicles in space.

Anderson was born in Omaha, graduated from a high school in Ashland and earned a bachelor’s degree at Hastings College in Hastings. He earned a master’s in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University in 1983.