Poindexter's sons were not injured in the accident, which is under investigation. <\/p>\n
Poindexter, who went by the nickname \"Dex,\" made two space flights during his career with NASA. In February 2008, he was the pilot aboard the shuttle Atlantis on a mission to deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory module to the International Space Station. <\/p>\n
Poindexter returned to space in April 2010 as commander of the shuttle Discovery on one of the final cargo runs to the station before the shuttles were retired. <\/p>\n
\"He was a talented, courageous Navy veteran with gifts,\" astronaut Greg Johnson wrote on Twitter. \"Dex was a lovable guy with a strong work ethic.\" <\/p>\n
A captain in the US Navy, Poindexter left NASA in December 2010 to become dean of students at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He earned a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the school in 1995. <\/p>\n
He is the son of former National Security Adviser John Poindexter, who served in the Reagan administration. <\/p>\n
Alan Poindexter was born in 1961 in Pasadena, California, but considered Rockville, Maryland, to be his hometown. He earned a bachelor of aerospace engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, then was commissioned in the Navy. <\/p>\n
Poindexter flew combat missions in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Southern Watch, then became a test pilot. He logged more than 4,000 hours flying time in more than 30 types of aircraft. <\/p>\n
He was selected to join NASA's astronaut corps in June 1998. <\/p>\n
Source: Reuters <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Nasa shuttle astronaut dies in jet ski accident<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Poindexter's sons were not injured in the accident, which is under investigation. Poindexter, who went by the nickname \"Dex,\" made two space flights during his career with NASA. Continue reading