John Matthew Swatek was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on April 4, 1958. From a very young age, John was interested in astronomy, and his love of the stars, science, and flying only increased as time passed. John was a licensed pilot and loved flying all types of small aircraft. An avid amateur astronomer from his pre-teens, John went on to get a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Astronomy. He had the opportunity to work on Mauna Kea in Hawai‘i and to study there. He always wanted to go to space, and now he is fulfilling his wish. May he fly in the stars forever.
