Town of Hempstead Renames Street for Its Most Stellar Resident

Last weekend, the Town of Hempstead renamed a street for one of its most stellar residents.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony J. Santino and Councilmen Bruce Blakeman and Edward Ambrosino spearheaded a street dedication in honor of astronaut Michael Massimino, who grew up in Franklin Square and went on to participate in two NASA space missions.Town officials were joined by Massimino and his family and friends in unveiling “Mike Massimino Street” on Saturday, Nov. 12. The commemorative sign dedicated Commonwealth Street in Franklin Square in the astronaut’s honor.

“We are so proud to honor a hometown hero who serves as an inspiration to generations of people who are fascinated by our nation’s legacy of space exploration,” said Santino.

Massimino is an accomplished astronaut, engineer, actor and author. He is a veteran of two NASA space flights -- STS-109 aboard the Columbia in March 2002 and STS-125 aboard the Atlantis in May 2009.
As part of the Columbia crew, Massimino successfully upgraded the Hubble Space Telescope, spending 14 hours in space to do it. The Atlantis was the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission. Both crews set new records for number of hours of spacewalk time. Mike has been referred to as the inspiration for George Clooney’s role in the 2013 movie “Gravity.” In 2009, he became known as the first person to tweet from space. His television credits include several appearances as himself on “The Big Bang Theory” and a guest appearance on “Sid the Science Kid.”

Massimino grew up in Franklin Square, graduating from H. Frank Carey High School. He went on to attend Columbia University where he now serves as a professor of mechanical engineering. He is also senior advisor for the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Last month, Massimino’s book, “Spaceman,” which discusses his 18 years at NASA and gives readers a first-hand look at the legacy of the Hubble Telescope, was released.

Photos: Town of Hempstead/NASA