Randolph James "Komrade"[2][3] Bresnik (born September 11, 1967) is a retired officer in the United States Marine Corps and an active NASA astronaut.

[7] Bresnik's family includes his wife, Rebecca Burgin of Pompton Plains, New Jersey, a son, and a daughter who was born while he was in orbit during STS-129.

[8] Bresnik's wife Rebecca has worked at NASA as acting associate general counsel of its International, Space and National Security Law Group.

After graduation he attended The Basic School (TBS) and Infantry Officers Course (IOC) at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

Upon completion of training, he reported to Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron, VMFA-212 at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, then MCAS El Toro, California, and additionally MCAS Miramar, California, where he made three overseas deployments to the Western Pacific.

Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, and began the course January 1999.

[12][13] On June 10, 2014, NASA announced that Bresnik would command the NEEMO 19 undersea exploration mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, which began on September 7, 2014, and lasted seven days.

ELCs are exposed pellets installed on the outboard truss of the ISS intended to support vacuum capable payloads such as scientific experiments built for operations on the outside of the station or for holding spare parts.

On November 21, 2009, Bresnik stepped outside the station with veteran spacewalk Michael Foreman, the two spent six hours and eight minutes outside of the ISS installing a piece of equipment called the Grappling Adapter to On-Orbit Railing (GATOR) on the European Columbus, installing a wireless video system on the outside of the station and setting up a cargo attachment system.

Bresnik's second spacewalk took place on November 23, 2009, and was alongside NASA astronaut Robert Satcher.

On October 20, 2017, Bresnik and Joe Acaba performed an EVA to continue with the lubrication tasks, and to install more cameras.

[23] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.