NASA Astronaut Group 12 (the GAFFers) was a group of 15
astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...
s announced by
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
on June 5, 1987.
Group members
Pilots
*
Andrew M. Allen (born 1955), U.S. Marine Corps (3 flights)
:
STS-46
STS-46 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using and was launched on July 31, 1992, and landed on August 8, 1992.
Crew
Crew seat assignments
Mission highlights
Gallery
File:Sts046-99-039 - cropped.jpg, EURECA after deployment
File ...
— July 1992 — Pilot — Deployment of
EURECA and
Tethered Satellite System
Space tethers are long cables which can be used for propulsion, momentum exchange, stabilization and attitude control, or maintaining the relative positions of the components of a large dispersed satellite/spacecraft sensor system. Depending on t ...
(TSS)
:
STS-62
STS-62 was a Space Shuttle program mission flown aboard . The primary payloads were the USMP-02 microgravity experiments package and the OAST-2 engineering and technology payload, both in the orbiter's cargo bay. The two-week mission also featu ...
— March 1994 — Pilot — Microgravity experiments
:
STS-75
STS-75 was a 1996 NASA Space Shuttle mission, the 19th mission of the orbiter.
Crew
Crew seat assignments
Mission objective
Tethered Satellite System
The primary objective of STS-75 was to carry the Tethered Satellite System Reflight (TS ...
— February 1996 — Commander — Tethered Satellite System reflight, lost due to broken tether
*
Kenneth D. Bowersox
Kenneth Dwane "Sox" Bowersox (born November 14, 1956) is a United States Navy officer and former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of five Space Shuttle launches and an extended stay aboard the International Space Station. When he launched on STS-73 ...
(born 1956), U.S. Navy (5 flights)
:
STS-50
STS-50 (U.S. Microgravity Laboratory-1) was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, the 12th mission of the ''Space Shuttle Columbia, Columbia'' orbiter. ''Columbia'' landed at Kennedy Space Center for the first time ever due to bad weather at Edwards ...
— June 1992 — Pilot —
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...
mission
:
STS-61
STS-61 was NASA's first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, and the fifth flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission launched on December 2, 1993, from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The missi ...
— December 1993 — Pilot — First
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...
servicing mission
:
STS-73
STS-73 was a Space Shuttle program mission, during October–November 1995, on board the Space Shuttle ''Columbia''. The mission was the second mission for the United States Microgravity Laboratory. The crew, who spent 16 days in space, were bro ...
— October 1995 — Commander — Spacelab mission
:
STS-82
STS-82 was the 22nd flight of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery, ''Discovery'' and the 82nd mission of the Space Shuttle program. It was NASA's second mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, during which ''Discovery's'' crew repai ...
— February 1997 — Commander — Second
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...
servicing mission
:
STS-113
STS-113 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle ''Space Shuttle Endeavour, Endeavour''. During the 14-day mission in late 2002, ''Endeavour'' and its crew extended the ISS backbone with the Int ...
— November 2002 — Mission Specialist 3 (launched only) —
ISS assembly flight 11A:
P1 truss, crew rotation
:
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
Expedition 6
Expedition 6 was the sixth expedition to the International Space Station (25 November 2002 – 3 May 2003). It was the last three-man crew to reside on the station until the arrival of STS-121 in 2006, delivering the final astronaut of Expedi ...
— November 2002–May 2003 — ISS Commander
:
Soyuz TMA-1
Soyuz TMA-1, also catalogued as Soyuz TM-35, was a 2002 Soyuz mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle with a Russian-Belgian cosmonaut crew blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. T ...
— May 2003 — Flight Engineer (landed only) — ISS crew rotation
*
Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (born 1956), U.S. Air Force (6 flights)
:
STS-47
STS-47 was NASA's 50th Space Shuttle mission of the Space Shuttle program, program, as well as the second mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission mainly involved conducting experiments in life and mater ...
— September 1992 — Pilot —
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...
-J, Japan-funded Spacelab mission
:
STS-66
STS-66 was a Space Shuttle program mission that was flown by the Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. STS-66 launched on November 3, 1994, at 11:59:43.060 am EDT from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. ''Atlantis'' landed at Edwards Air For ...
— November 1994 — Pilot — ATLAS-3 science platform experiments
:
STS-77
STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...
— May 1996 — Pilot —
SPACEHAB
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and se ...
, SPARTAN
:
STS-85
STS-85 was the 23rd flight of Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' that performed multiple space science packages. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 7 August 1997. The main STS-85 payloads included the satellite known as Cryogenic ...
— August 1997 — Commander — Deployed and retrieved CRISTA-SPAS
:
STS-95
STS-95 was a Space Shuttle mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 29 October 1998, using the orbiter Space Shuttle Discovery, ''Discovery''. It was the 25th flight of ''Discovery'' and the 92nd mission flown since the start of the ...
— October 1998 — Commander —
SPACEHAB
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and se ...
:
STS-103
STS-103, the 96th launch of the Space Shuttle and the 27th launch of Space Shuttle ''Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery'', was a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 19 December 1999 and ...
— December 1999 — Commander — Third
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...
servicing mission
*
Kevin P. Chilton (born 1954), U.S. Air Force (3 flights)
:
STS-49
STS-49 was NASA's maiden flight of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'', which launched on May 7, 1992. The primary goal of its nine-day mission was to retrieve an Intelsat VI satellite, Intelsat 603, which failed to leave Low Earth orbit two yea ...
— May 1992 — Pilot —
Intelsat VI
The Intelsat VI series of satellites were the 8th generation of geostationary communications satellites for the Intelsat Corporation. Designed and built by Hughes Aircraft Company (HAC) in 1983-1991, there were five VI-series satellites built: 601 ...
hand-retrieval and repair
:
STS-59
STS-59 was a Space Shuttle program mission that took place in 1994. The launch was chronicled by the 1994 Discovery Channel special about the Space Shuttle program.
Crew
Crew seat assignments
Mission highlights
9 April
''Endeavour'' b ...
— April 1994 — Pilot — Experiments aboard Shuttle Radar Laboratory-1
:
STS-76
STS-76 was NASA's 76th Space Shuttle mission, and the 16th mission for Space Shuttle Atlantis, ''Atlantis''. STS-76 launched on 22 March 1996 at 08:13:04 Coordinated Universal Time, UTC from Kennedy Space Center, Kennedy Space Center Launch ...
— March 1996 — Commander — Third Shuttle-''
Mir
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
'' docking
*
Donald R. McMonagle
Donald Ray McMonagle (born May 14, 1952) (Colonel (United States), Col, United States Air Force, USAF, Ret.) is a former astronaut and a veteran of three shuttle flights. He became the Manager, Launch Integration, at the Kennedy Space Center, Flo ...
(born 1952), U.S. Air Force (3 flights)
:
STS-39
STS-39 was the twelfth mission of the NASA Space Shuttle ''Discovery'', and the 40th orbital shuttle mission overall. The primary purpose of the mission was to conduct a variety of payload experiments for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
...
— April 1991 — Mission Specialist 4 — First unclassified
DoD mission, military science experiments
:
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center ...
— January 1993 — Pilot – Tracking and data relay satellite (
TDRS-F) deployment
:
STS-66
STS-66 was a Space Shuttle program mission that was flown by the Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. STS-66 launched on November 3, 1994, at 11:59:43.060 am EDT from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. ''Atlantis'' landed at Edwards Air For ...
— November 1994 — Commander — ATLAS-3 science platform experiments
*
William F. Readdy (born 1952), U.S. Navy (3 flights)
:
STS-42
STS-42 was a NASA Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery, ''Discovery'' mission with the Spacelab module. Liftoff was originally scheduled for 8:45 Eastern Time Zone, EST (13:45 Coordinated Universal Time, UTC) on January 22, 1992, but the launc ...
— January 1992 — Mission Specialist 3 —
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...
mission
:
STS-51
STS-51 was a NASA Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery, ''Discovery'' mission that launched the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) in September 1993. Discovery's 17th flight also featured the deployment and retrieval of the S ...
— September 1993 — Pilot —
ACTS
The Acts of the Apostles (, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; ) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message to the Roman Empire.
Acts and the Gospel of Luke make up a two-par ...
satellite deployment, SPAS-ORFEUS deployment and retrieval
:
STS-79
STS-79 was the 17th flight of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'', and the 79th mission of the Space Shuttle program. The flight saw ''Atlantis'' dock with the Russian space station ''Mir'' to deliver equipment, supplies and to exchange personnel partici ...
— September 1996 — Commander — Fourth Shuttle-''
Mir
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
'' docking
*
Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr. (born 1951), U.S. Navy (2 flights)
:
STS-48
STS-48 was a Space Shuttle mission that launched on September 12, 1991, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The orbiter was on her 13th flight. The primary payload was the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). The mission landed on Septe ...
— September 1991 — Pilot —
Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) was a NASA-operated orbital observatory whose mission was to study the Earth's atmosphere, particularly the protective ozone layer. The satellite was deployed from Space Shuttle Discovery, Space Shu ...
deployment
:
STS-60
STS-60 was the first mission of the U.S./Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, and the 18th flight of Discovery, in which Sergei K. Krikalev became the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a Space Shuttle. The mission used NASA Space Shuttle ''Disc ...
— February 1994 — Pilot —
SPACEHAB
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and se ...
,
Wake Shield Facility
Wake or The Wake may refer to:
Culture
*Wake (ceremony), a ritual which takes place during some funeral ceremonies
*Wakes week, an English holiday tradition
* Parish Wake, another name of the Welsh ', the fairs held on the local parish's patron s ...
Mission specialists
*
Thomas D. Akers (born 1951), U.S. Air Force (4 flights)
:
STS-41
STS-41 was the 36th Space Shuttle mission and the eleventh mission of the Space Shuttle ''Discovery''. The four-day mission had a primary objective of launching the ''Ulysses'' probe as part of the " International Solar Polar Mission" (ISPM) ...
— October 1990 — Mission Specialist 3 —
Ulysses/Inertial Upper Stage solar probe deployment
:
STS-49
STS-49 was NASA's maiden flight of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'', which launched on May 7, 1992. The primary goal of its nine-day mission was to retrieve an Intelsat VI satellite, Intelsat 603, which failed to leave Low Earth orbit two yea ...
— May 1992 — Mission Specialist 4 —
Intelsat VI
The Intelsat VI series of satellites were the 8th generation of geostationary communications satellites for the Intelsat Corporation. Designed and built by Hughes Aircraft Company (HAC) in 1983-1991, there were five VI-series satellites built: 601 ...
hand-retrieval and repair
:
STS-61
STS-61 was NASA's first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, and the fifth flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission launched on December 2, 1993, from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The missi ...
— December 1993 — Mission Specialist 5 — First
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...
servicing mission
:
STS-79
STS-79 was the 17th flight of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'', and the 79th mission of the Space Shuttle program. The flight saw ''Atlantis'' dock with the Russian space station ''Mir'' to deliver equipment, supplies and to exchange personnel partici ...
— September 1996 — Mission Specialist 1 — Fourth Shuttle-''
Mir
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
'' docking
*
N. Jan Davis (born 1953), Engineer (3 flights)
:
STS-47
STS-47 was NASA's 50th Space Shuttle mission of the Space Shuttle program, program, as well as the second mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission mainly involved conducting experiments in life and mater ...
— September 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 —
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...
-J, Japan-funded Spacelab mission
:
STS-60
STS-60 was the first mission of the U.S./Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, and the 18th flight of Discovery, in which Sergei K. Krikalev became the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a Space Shuttle. The mission used NASA Space Shuttle ''Disc ...
— February 1994 — Mission Specialist 1 —
SPACEHAB
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and se ...
,
Wake Shield Facility
Wake or The Wake may refer to:
Culture
*Wake (ceremony), a ritual which takes place during some funeral ceremonies
*Wakes week, an English holiday tradition
* Parish Wake, another name of the Welsh ', the fairs held on the local parish's patron s ...
:
STS-85
STS-85 was the 23rd flight of Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' that performed multiple space science packages. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 7 August 1997. The main STS-85 payloads included the satellite known as Cryogenic ...
— August 1997 — Payload Commander — Deployed and retrieved CRISTA-SPAS
*
C. Michael Foale (born 1957), Astrophysicist (6 flights)
:
STS-45
STS-45 was a 1992 NASA Space Shuttle mission using the . Its almost nine-day scientific mission was with a non-deployable payload of instruments. It was the 46th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th for ''Atlantis''.
Crew
Crew seat assignm ...
— March 1992 — Mission Specialist 3 — ATLAS-1 science platform
:
STS-56
STS-56 was a NASA Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' mission to perform special experiments. It was Discovery's 16th flight. The mission was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 8, 1993.
Crew
Crew seat assignments
Mission h ...
— April 1993 — Mission Specialist 1 — ATLAS-2 science platform
:
STS-63
STS-63 was the second mission of the U.S.-Russian Shuttle–Mir program and the 20th flight of . Dubbed the "Near-Mir" mission, it achieved the first rendezvous between an American Space Shuttle and Russia's space station, ''Mir''. Discovery li ...
— February 1995 — Mission Specialist 1 — First Shuttle-''
Mir
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
'' rendezvous,
SPACEHAB
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and se ...
:
STS-84
STS-84 was a crewed spaceflight mission by Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' to the Mir space station.
Crew
Crew seat assignments
Mission highlights
The STS-84 mission was the sixth Shuttle/ ''Mir'' docking mission and is part of the NASA/Mir p ...
— May 1997 — Mission Specialist 5 (launched only) — Sixth Shuttle-''
Mir
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
'' docking
:
Mir EO-23
Mir EO-23 was the 23rd long-duration mission to Russia's Mir space station. It is notable for both the fire that occurred during the mission, and the crash that caused one of the station's modules to be permanently sealed off.
Crew
This mission ...
/
Mir EO-24
Mir EO-24 was the 24th long-duration mission to Russia's ''Mir'' space station
A space station (or orbital station) is a spacecraft which remains orbital spaceflight, in orbit and human spaceflight, hosts humans for extended periods of time. ...
— May 1997–October 1997 — Flight Engineer 2
:
STS-86
STS-86 was a Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' mission to the ''Mir'' space station. This was the last ''Atlantis'' mission before it was taken out of service temporarily for maintenance and upgrades, including the glass cockpit.
Crew
Spacewalk
*' ...
— October 1997 — Mission Specialist 5 (landed only) — Seventh Shuttle-''
Mir
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
'' docking
:
STS-103
STS-103, the 96th launch of the Space Shuttle and the 27th launch of Space Shuttle ''Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery'', was a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 19 December 1999 and ...
— December 1999 — Mission Specialist 3 — Third
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...
servicing mission
:
Soyuz TMA-3
Soyuz TMA-3 was a Soyuz spacecraft, Soyuz (Russian Союз ТМА-3, ''Union TMA-3'') mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle which was the third flight for the ''TMA'' modification of the Soyuz sp ...
— October 2003–April 2004 — Flight Engineer — ISS crew rotation
:
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
Expedition 8 — October 2003–April 2004 — ISS Commander
*
Gregory J. Harbaugh
Gregory Jordan "Greg" Harbaugh (born April 15, 1956) is an aeronautical/astronautical engineer and former NASA astronaut. He flew on four space shuttle missions as a mission specialist with responsibilities that included Remote Manipulator System ...
(born 1956), Engineer (4 flights)
:
STS-39
STS-39 was the twelfth mission of the NASA Space Shuttle ''Discovery'', and the 40th orbital shuttle mission overall. The primary purpose of the mission was to conduct a variety of payload experiments for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
...
— April 1991 — Mission Specialist 2 — First unclassified
DoD mission, military science experiments
:
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center ...
— January 1993 — Mission Specialist 2 – Tracking and data relay satellite (
TDRS-F) deployment
:
STS-71
As the third mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, STS-71 became the first Space Shuttle to dock with the Russian space station ''Mir''. STS-71 began on June 27, 1995, with the launch of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' from launchpad 39A ...
— June 1995 — Mission Specialist 1 — First Shuttle-''
Mir
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
'' docking
:
STS-82
STS-82 was the 22nd flight of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery, ''Discovery'' and the 82nd mission of the Space Shuttle program. It was NASA's second mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, during which ''Discovery's'' crew repai ...
— February 1997 — Mission Specialist 3 — Second
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...
servicing mission
*
Mae C. Jemison (born 1956), Physician (1 flight)
:
STS-47
STS-47 was NASA's 50th Space Shuttle mission of the Space Shuttle program, program, as well as the second mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission mainly involved conducting experiments in life and mater ...
— September 1992 — Mission Specialist 4 —
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, ...
-J, Japan-funded Spacelab mission
*
Bruce E. Melnick
Bruce Edward Melnick (born December 5, 1949) is a retired American astronaut and United States Coast Guard officer. Following retirement from NASA and the Coast Guard, he entered the aerospace industry. He served as a vice president with the B ...
(born 1949), U.S. Coast Guard (2 flights)
:
STS-41
STS-41 was the 36th Space Shuttle mission and the eleventh mission of the Space Shuttle ''Discovery''. The four-day mission had a primary objective of launching the ''Ulysses'' probe as part of the " International Solar Polar Mission" (ISPM) ...
— October 1990 — Mission Specialist 1 —
Ulysses/Inertial Upper Stage solar probe deployment
:
STS-49
STS-49 was NASA's maiden flight of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'', which launched on May 7, 1992. The primary goal of its nine-day mission was to retrieve an Intelsat VI satellite, Intelsat 603, which failed to leave Low Earth orbit two yea ...
— May 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 —
Intelsat VI
The Intelsat VI series of satellites were the 8th generation of geostationary communications satellites for the Intelsat Corporation. Designed and built by Hughes Aircraft Company (HAC) in 1983-1991, there were five VI-series satellites built: 601 ...
hand-retrieval and repair
*
Mario Runco, Jr. (born 1952), U.S. Navy (3 flights)
:
STS-44
STS-44 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using ''Atlantis'' that launched on November 24, 1991. It was a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) space mission.
Crew
Crew seat assignments
Mission highlights
The launch was on November 24, 19 ...
— November 1991 — Mission Specialist 2 —
DSP satellite deployment
:
STS-54
STS-54 was a NASA ''Space Transportation System'' (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. This was the third flight for ''Endeavour'', and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center ...
— January 1993 — Mission Specialist 1 – Tracking and data relay satellite (
TDRS-F) deployment
:
STS-77
STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...
— May 1996 — Mission Specialist 3 —
SPACEHAB
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and se ...
, SPARTAN
*
James S. Voss
James Shelton Voss (born March 3, 1949) is a retired United States Army colonel and NASA astronaut. During his time with NASA, Voss flew in space five times on board the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. He also served as deputy of F ...
(born 1949), U.S. Army (5 flights)
:
STS-44
STS-44 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission using ''Atlantis'' that launched on November 24, 1991. It was a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) space mission.
Crew
Crew seat assignments
Mission highlights
The launch was on November 24, 19 ...
— November 1991 — Mission Specialist 3 —
DSP satellite deployment
:
STS-53
STS-53 was a NASA Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' mission in support of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). It was Discovery's 15th flight. The mission was launched on December 2, 1992, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This was also ...
— December 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 — Partially classified 10th and final
DoD mission, likely deployment of
SDS2 satellite
:
STS-69
STS-69 was a Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' mission, and the second flight of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF). The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 7 September 1995. It was the 100th successful crewed NASA spaceflight, not inc ...
— September 1995 — Mission Specialist 1 —
Wake Shield Facility
Wake or The Wake may refer to:
Culture
*Wake (ceremony), a ritual which takes place during some funeral ceremonies
*Wakes week, an English holiday tradition
* Parish Wake, another name of the Welsh ', the fairs held on the local parish's patron s ...
, SPARTAN
:
STS-101
STS-101 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle '' Atlantis''. The mission was a 10-day mission conducted between 19 May 2000 and 29 May 2000. The mission was designated 2A.2a and was a resuppl ...
— May 2000 — Mission Specialist 3 —
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
supply
:
STS-102
STS-102 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle '' Discovery'' and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-102 flew in March 2001; its primary objectives were resupplying the ISS and ...
— March 2001 — Mission Specialist 4 (launched only) —
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
supply and crew rotation
:
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
Expedition 2
Expedition 2 (also called ISS EO-2) was the second long-duration spaceflight aboard the International Space Station, immediately following Expedition 1. Its three-person crew stayed aboard the station from March to August 2001. In addition to st ...
— March 2001–August 2001 — Flight Engineer 2
:
STS-105
STS-105 was the 30th mission of Space Shuttle ''Discovery'', in which Discovery went to the International Space Station. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 10 August 2001. This mission was ''Discoverys final mission until STS ...
— August 2001 — Mission Specialist 4 (landed only) —
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
supply and crew rotation
Further information
The group's informal nickname is an acronym for "
George Abbey Final Fifteen".
Of this group, Mae Jemison would become the first female African-American in space,
Bruce Melnick the first Coast Guard aviator in space,
while Michael Foale would fly aboard the
Mir
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
space station.
At the time of the
''Columbia'' accident in 2003, William Readdy was Associate Administrator for Space Flight
and Kenneth Bowersox was commanding the ''
Expedition 6
Expedition 6 was the sixth expedition to the International Space Station (25 November 2002 – 3 May 2003). It was the last three-man crew to reside on the station until the arrival of STS-121 in 2006, delivering the final astronaut of Expedi ...
'' crew on the ISS.
Chilton, after leaving NASA, became the first NASA astronaut to become a
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
in the
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...
(Lt. Gen.
Thomas Stafford, USAF,
and VADM
Richard Truly
Richard Harrison Truly (November 12, 1937 – February 27, 2024) was an American fighter pilot, engineer and astronaut who served as a vice admiral in the United States Navy and as the eighth administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space A ...
, USN
were three-star officers) and was commander of
U.S. Strategic Command
The United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic nuclear ...
from October 2007 until January 2011.
See also
*
List of astronauts by name
This is an alphabetical list of astronauts, people selected to train for a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft.
For a list of everyone who has flown in space, see List of space travelers by nam ...
*
List of astronauts by selection
This is a list of astronauts by year of selection: people selected to train for a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft. Until recently, astronauts were sponso ...
*
List of space travelers by name
This is a list of space travellers by first flight. The table is listed in chronological order from the date of first flight. The table adheres to a common definition of a space traveller; the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale criter ...
*
List of space travelers by nationality
References
External links
Astronaut Biographies: Home Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:NASA Astronaut Group 12
NASA Astronaut Corps
Lists of astronauts
1987 in spaceflight
1987 establishments in the United States