FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE CARS ®
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MAY | JUNE 2018
HAGERTY.COM
WE DO NOT FEAR THE FUTURE (and neither should you)
RPM: Restoration. Preservation. Mentorship.
an Austin-Healey Sprite. “My father and uncle were Ford executives,” Feustel says, “so I was exposed to the world of cars early on and today still consider myself a mechanic.” Three years ago, Feustel and the RPM Foundation began discussing ways he could help expose younger folks to cars as he had been. “I think the skills you learn working under the hood and in shop classes are important in life and for society,” says Feustel, “but I’ve watched a degradation of these skills as we entered the tech age. I want to help change that.” As an astronaut, Feustel is able to encourage a wide audience of young people to get their hands dirty, whether it’s under the hood of a car, in a wood shop, or on a boat. Or to formally pursue engineering and technical degrees that lead to careers in industries where those talents are needed. In his role as an RPM Ambassador, Feustel shared this message with a student group at Houston’s Johnson Space Center during his live video feed in May. It’s a message he plans to continue spreading when he returns to Earth in September.—Bob Butz editor@hagerty.com
Photo courtesy NASA
RPM Foundation provides scholarships, formal RPM Foundation training, provides and scholmentorship to the arships, formal next generation of training, and automotive and mentorship to the marine restorers of next generation and preservationautomotive and ists. Learn more at marine restorers rpm.foundation. and preservationists. Learn more at rpm.foundation.
MAN ON A MISSION MAN A MISSION AstronautON Andrew Feustel has some “out of this world” career advice for the younger Astronaut Andrew Feustel has generation. some “out of this world” career advice for the younger generation. IN MARCH, A RUSSIAN SOYUZ ROCKET blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in IN MARCH, Its A RUSSIAN ROCKET Kazakhstan. three-manSOYUZ crew was headed blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in to the International Space Station to conduct Kazakhstan. Its three-man crew was headed research and demonstrate technology. Their to the International SpaceFeustel, Station52, to also conduct commander, Dr. Andrew had research and demonstrate technology. Their a very personal matter in mind as they blasted commander, Dr.automobiles. Andrew Feustel, 52, alsoFeushad through space: Specifically, atelvery personal matter in mind as theythe blasted is taking time out in May during sixthrough space: automobiles. Specifically, Feusmonth-long Expedition 55/56 to talk to young tel is taking time out in May during the sixmonth-long Expedition 55/56 to talk to young 118 118
people back on Earth about working on cars. Feustel grew up in the Detroit suburb of people back on Earth onJetsons cars. Lake Orion, and TVabout showsworking like The Feustel grew up in the Detroit suburb of and Lost in Space fired his boyhood imagiLake Orion, and TV shows like The Jetsons nation. “I thought everyone would probably and in Spaceone fired hisheboyhood imagibe anLost astronaut day,” jokes. “Mining nation. “I thought everyone would probably resources on planetary bodies seemed like a be an astronaut he Feustel jokes. “Mining logical thing.” In one highday,” school, started resources on planetarythe bodies seemed like seriously considering educational path-a logical thing.” highhim school, Feustel started way that wouldIntake to space even as he seriously considering the educational pathway that would take him to space even as he The RPM Foundation is an entity of America's Automotive Trust.
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next generation of automotive and marine restorers and preservationists. Learn more at rpm.foundation.
pursued his passion for cars, and he worked as a mechanic restoring 1950s Jaguars while pursued his passion for cars, and he worked he attended community college. After finas a mechanic restoring 1950s while ishing his undergraduate work Jaguars at Purdue, he he attended After finearned a Ph.D.community in geologicalcollege. sciences, specialishing hisseismology, undergraduate work at Purdue, he izing in at Queen’s University earned a Ph.D. in geological sciences, specialin Kingston, Ontario, and in 1996, he got a izing in ExxonMobil seismology, in atHouston. Queen’s He University job with learned in Kingston, Ontario, and in 1996, he got a about NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Program job with aExxonMobil in Houston. He learned through friend, applied in 1999, and was acabout NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Program cepted on his first attempt. through friend, 1999, and Feustel was ac“Aftera 16 yearsapplied as an in astronaut,” cepted“I’d on say his first attempt.in that profession says, my success 16 yearsnearly as anasastronaut,” Feustel can“After be attributed much to the techsays, “I’d say my success in that profession nical and mechanical skills I picked up in the can be attributed nearly as much to techgarage as to my formal training asthe a sciennical and mechanical skills I picked up in the tist.” Prior to his March mission, Feustel garage as to my formal training as a scienhad logged more than 25 days in space and tist.” Prior toinhis March mission, Feustel over 42 hours spacewalks on two previous had logged more the thanfinal 25 days in space and flights, including mission on Atlanover hours in Hubble spacewalks ontelescope two previous tis to42 repair the space and flights, including the finalfinal mission on Atlanspace shuttle Endeavour’s mission. tis Back to repair the Hubble space telescope on Earth, “Dr. Drew” is an avidand car space shuttle mission. collector and Endeavour’s fan of autofinal racing. His first Earth, “Dr. Drew” is an avid carBack was aon 1967 Mustang convertible thatcar he collector and fan of auto racing. His disassembled when he was 15, and he first has car wasand a 1967 Mustang thatcurhe owned restored manyconvertible cars since. He disassembled when he was 15, and he has rently owns three classic BMWs—a 3.0CS, a owned and restored many cars5-series—and since. He curBavaria, and an E28-chassis rently owns three Sprite. classic BMWs—a 3.0CS, a an Austin-Healey Bavaria, and anand E28-chassis “My father uncle were5-series—and Ford execuan Austin-Healey Sprite. tives,” Feustel says, “so I was exposed to the “Myoffather andon uncle execuworld cars early and were today Ford still considtives,” Feustel says, “so I was exposed the er myself a mechanic.” Three years ago,to Feusworld of cars early on and today still considtel and the RPM Foundation began discusser a mechanic.” years ago, Feusingmyself ways he could helpThree expose younger folks telcars and as theheRPM Foundation discussto had been. “I thinkbegan the skills you ing ways he could helpthe expose learn working under hoodyounger and in folks shop to cars as had been.in“Ilife think you classes areheimportant andthe forskills society,” learn working under the hood and in shop says Feustel, “but I’ve watched a degradation classes important in life and society,” of theseare skills as we entered thefor tech age. I says Feustel, “but I’ve watched a degradation want to help change that.” of these as we entered techtoage. As anskills astronaut, Feustel the is able en-I want to help change that.” courage a wide audience of young people to an hands astronaut, to the engetAs their dirty, Feustel whetherisit’sable under courage of young people to hood of aa wide car, inaudience a wood shop, or on a boat. get their handspursue dirty, whether it’s under the Or to formally engineering and techhood of a car,that in alead wood shop, or a boat. nical degrees to careers in on industries Or to formally pursue engineering and where those talents are needed. In histechrole nical that lead to careers industries as andegrees RPM Ambassador, Feustelinshared this where those are group needed.at In his role message withtalents a student Houston’s as an RPM Ambassador, Feustel shared this Johnson Space Center during his live video message with a student group at Houston’s feed in May. It’s a message he plans to conJohnson Space Center histolive video tinue spreading when heduring returns Earth in feed in May. It’s aButz message he plans to conSeptember.—Bob editor@hagerty.com tinue spreading when he returns to Earth in September.—Bob Butz editor@hagerty.com Photo courtesy NASA
people back on Earth about working on cars. Feustel grew up in the Detroit suburb of Lake Orion, and TV shows like The Jetsons and Lost in Space fired his boyhood imagination. “I thought everyone would probably be an astronaut one day,” he jokes. “Mining resources on planetary bodies seemed like a logical thing.” In high school, Feustel started seriously considering the educational pathway that would take him to space even as he
Follow Dr. Drew’s postings, photos, and videos on Follow Dr. Drew’s space andphotos, RPMpostings, related activities and videos on via Twitter and space and RPMon Instagram related activities @Astro_Feustel. via Twitter and on Instagram @Astro_Feustel.
SSION
RPM: Restoration. Preservation. Mentorship. T H E S E R V I C E D E P T.
tel has some “out of this world” ounger generation.
OYUZ ROCKET Cosmodrome in rew was headed ation to conduct echnology. Their stel, 52, also had d as they blasted Specifically, Feusy during the six6 to talk to young
T H E S E R V I C E D E P T.
Photo courtesy NASA