Colonel William S. (Bill) McArthur is a former NASA astronaut and Army Aviator. Born and raised in North Carolina, Bill and his wife, Cindy, have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Bill received a Bachelor of Science degree in applied science and engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY in 1973 and was commissioned in the U. S. Army. As a junior officer, he served in the 82nd Airborne, 2nd Infantry, and 24th Infantry Divisions. He received a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1983, after which he taught Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at West Point. In 1987, Bill graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School and was designated an experimental test pilot. A veteran of four space flights, Bill has logged 225 days in space, including over 24 hours during four spacewalks. Bill flew onboard three Space Shuttle missions before launching to the International Space Station onboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. During the 6-month ISS mission, Bill served as the Expedition 12 Commander and NASA Science Officer. Following his last flight, Bill served as Manager of the Space Shuttle Safety & Mission Assurance Office, Manager of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Project Office, and the JSC Director of Safety and Mission Assurance.