NASA Astronaut Group 9 was a group of 19

NASA astronauts The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

announced on May 29, 1980, and completed their training by 1981. This group was selected to supplement the 35 astronauts that had been selected in 1978, and marked the first time that non-Americans were trained as mission specialists with the selections of

ESA , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

astronauts

Claude Nicollier Claude Nicollier (born 2 September 1944 in Vevey, Switzerland) is the first astronaut from Switzerland. He has flown on four Space Shuttle missions. His first spaceflight ( STS-46) was in 1992, and his final spaceflight (STS-103) was in 1999. He ...

and

Wubbo Ockels Wubbo Johannes Ockels (28 March 1946 – 18 May 2014) was a Dutch physicist and astronaut with the European Space Agency who, in 1985, became the first Dutch citizen in space when he flew on STS-61-A as a payload specialist. He later becam ...

. In keeping with the previous group, astronaut candidates were divided into pilots and mission specialists, with eight pilots, eleven mission specialists, and two international mission specialists within the group.

Achievements

As with the previous group, several spaceflight firsts were achieved, including: * First Costa Rican astronaut:

Franklin Chang-Diaz Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral div ...

(January 12, 1986, STS-61-C) * First Dutch citizen in space: Wubbo Ockels (October 30, 1985,

STS-61-A STS-61-A (also known as Spacelab D-1) was the 22nd mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program. It was a scientific Spacelab mission, funded and directed by West Germany – hence the non-NASA designation of D-1 (for Deutschland-1). STS-61-A was th ...

) * First Swiss astronaut: Claude Nicollier (July 31, 1992,

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 Backup crew Crew seating arrangements Mission highlights The mission's primary objectives were the deployment of ...

) * First African-American Marine in space:

Charles Bolden Charles Frank Bolden Jr. (born August 19, 1946) is a former Administrator of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions. He graduated from the United States Naval A ...

(January 12, 1986, STS-61-C) * First person to be launched into space more than six times: Jerry Ross (April 8, 2002,

STS-110 STS-110 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on 8–19 April 2002 flown by Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. The main purpose was to install the S0 Truss segment, which forms the backbone of the truss structure on the ...

) * First astronaut spouse selected as an astronaut: William Fisher (August 27, 1985,

STS-51-I STS-51-I was the 20th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the sixth flight of Space Shuttle ''Discovery''. During the mission, ''Discovery'' deployed three communications satellites into orbit. The mission launched from Kennedy Space C ...

; married to Anna Fisher, Group 8 astronaut) In addition, Chang-Diaz and Ross share the world record for the most spaceflights, with seven each. Bolden also became the second astronaut to serve as

NASA Administrator The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the highest-ranking official of NASA, the national space agency of the United States. The administrator is NASA's chief decision maker, responsible for providing clarity to ...

, appointed in July 2009.

Group members

Pilots

* John E. Blaha (born 1942), U.S. Air Force (5 flights) : STS-29 — March 1989 — Pilot — Deployed TDRS-D :

STS-33 STS-33 was a NASA Space Shuttle program, Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Discovery, Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' deployed a payload for the United States Department of Defense (DoD). It was the 32nd shuttle mission overall, the ...

— November 1989 — Pilot — Was a classified

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...

mission :

STS-43 STS-43, the ninth mission for Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'', was a nine-day mission whose primary goal was launching the TDRS-E satellite (TDRS-5). The flight also tested an advanced heatpipe radiator for potential use on the then-future space s ...

— August 1991 — Commander — Deployed TDRS-E :

STS-58 STS-58 was a NASA mission flown by Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 18 October 1993. The missions was primarily devoted to experiments concerning the physiological effects in space. This was the first ...

— October 1993 — Commander —

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, ...

: SLS-2 :

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 relief personnel. A variety of sc ...

— September 1996 — Mission Specialist 4 — Launched for long duration flight aboard

Mir ''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...

EO-22: Board Engineer 2 :

STS-81 STS-81 was a January 1997 Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' mission to the Mir space station. Crew Mission highlights STS-81 was the fifth of nine planned missions to Mir and the second one involving an exchange of U.S. astronauts. Astronaut John B ...

— January 1997 — Mission Specialist 4 — Landed from long duration flight aboard

Charles F. Bolden, Jr. Charles Frank Bolden Jr. (born August 19, 1946) is a former Administrator of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions. He graduated from the United States Naval ...

(born 1946), U.S. Marine Corps (4 flights) - Former

: STS-61-C — January 1986 — Pilot — Deployed Ku-1 communications satellite :

STS-31 STS-31 was the 35th mission of the NASA Space Shuttle program. The primary purpose of this mission was the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) into low Earth orbit. The mission used the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' (the tenth missio ...

— April 1990 — Pilot — Deployed the

Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versa ...

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 Backup crew Cr ...

— March 1992 — Commander — ATLAS-1 :

STS-60 STS-60 was the first mission of the U.S./Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, which carried Sergei K. Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a Space Shuttle. The mission used NASA Space Shuttle ''Discovery'', which lifted off from Launc ...

— February 1994 — Commander — Spacehab 2 *

Roy D. Bridges, Jr. Roy Dubard Bridges Jr. (born July 19, 1943) is an American pilot, engineer, retired United States Air Force officer, test pilot, former NASA astronaut and the former director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center and Langley Research Center. ...

(born 1943), U.S. Air Force (1 flight) :

STS-51-F STS-51-F (also known as Spacelab 2) was the 19th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the eighth flight of Space Shuttle ''Challenger''. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 29, 1985, and landed eight days later on Aug ...

— July 1985 — Pilot — Spacelab 2 * Guy S. Gardner (born 1948), U.S. Air Force (2 flights) :

STS-27 STS-27 was the 27th NASA Space Shuttle mission, and the third flight of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. Launching on December 2, 1988, on a four-day mission, it was the second shuttle flight after the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster of Janu ...

— December 1988 — Pilot — Was a classified

mission :

STS-35 STS-35 was the tenth flight of Space Shuttle ''Columbia'', the 38th shuttle flight, and a mission devoted to astronomical observations with ASTRO-1, a Spacelab observatory consisting of four telescopes. The mission launched from Kennedy Spac ...

— December 1990 — Pilot — ASTRO-1 *

Ronald J. Grabe Ronald John Grabe (born June 13, 1945, in New York, New York), ( Col, USAF, Ret.), is a former NASA astronaut. He has earned the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Meritorious Service ...

(born 1945), U.S. Air Force (4 flights) :

STS-51-J STS-51-J was the 21st NASA Space Shuttle mission and the first flight of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. It launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 3, 1985, carrying a payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and landed at ...

— October 1985 — Pilot — Was a classified

mission : STS-30 — May 1989 — Pilot — Deployed the

Magellan probe The ''Magellan'' spacecraft was a robotic space probe launched by NASA of the United States, on May 4, 1989, to map the surface of Venus by using synthetic-aperture radar and to measure the planetary gravitational field. The ''Magellan'' pro ...

STS-42 STS-42 was a NASA Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' mission with the Spacelab module. Liftoff was originally scheduled for 8:45 EST (13:45 UTC) on January 22, 1992, but the launch was delayed due to weather constraints. ''Discovery'' successfully ...

— January 1992 — Commander —

: IML-1 :

STS-57 STS-57 was a NASA Space Shuttle-Spacehab mission of that launched 21 June 1993 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Crew Spacewalk * '' Low and Wisoff '' – EVA 1 * EVA 1 Start: 25 June 1993 * EVA 1 End: 25 June 1993 * Duration: 5 hours ...

— June 1993 — 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 s ...

Bryan D. O'Connor Bryan Daniel O'Connor (born September 6, 1946) is a retired United States Marine Corps Colonel and former NASA astronaut. He was inducted into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2008. Personal Born September 6, 1946, in Orange, Califor ...

(born 1946), U.S. Marine Corps (2 flights) - Former

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance :

STS-61-B STS-61-B was NASA's 23rd Space Shuttle mission, and its second using Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. The shuttle was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 26, 1985. During STS-61-B, the shuttle crew deployed three communications ...

— November 1985 — Pilot — Deployed 3 communication satellites :

STS-40 STS-40, the eleventh launch of Space Shuttle ''Columbia'', was a nine-day mission in June 1991. It carried the Spacelab module for Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1), the fifth Spacelab mission and the first dedicated solely to biology. STS-40 w ...

— June 1991 — Commander —

: SLS-1 *

Richard N. Richards Richard Noel "Dick" Richards (born August 24, 1946), (Capt, USN, Ret.), is a retired American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, chemical engineer, and a former NASA astronaut. He flew aboard four Space Shuttle missions in the 1980s and 1990 ...

(born 1946), U.S. Navy (4 flights) :

STS-28 STS-28 was the 30th NASA Space Shuttle mission, the fourth shuttle mission dedicated to United States Department of Defense (DoD) purposes, and the eighth flight of Space Shuttle ''Columbia''. The mission launched on August 8, 1989, and travel ...

— August 1989 — Pilot — Was a classified

mission : STS-41 — October 1990 — Commander — Deployed the

Ulysses (spacecraft) ''Ulysses'' ( , ) was a robotic space probe whose primary mission was to orbit the Sun and study it at all latitudes. It was launched in 1990 and made three "fast latitude scans" of the Sun in 1994/1995, 2000/2001, and 2007/2008. In addition ...

STS-50 STS-50 (U.S. Microgravity Laboratory-1) was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, the 12th mission of the '' Columbia'' orbiter. ''Columbia'' landed at Kennedy Space Center for the first time ever due to bad weather at Edwards Air Force Base caused b ...

— June 1992 — Commander —

: U.S. Microgravity Laboratory 1 :

STS-64 STS-64 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery, ''Discovery'' mission that was set to perform multiple experiment packages. STS-64 was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 9 September 1994, and landed back on 20 September 1994 at ...

— September 1994 — Commander — Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) *

Michael J. Smith Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986), (Capt USN) was an American engineer and astronaut. He served as the pilot of the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission, when it broke up 73 ...

(1945–1986), U.S. Navy (1 flight) - Died During the ''Challenger'' Disaster :

STS-51-L STS-51-L was the 25th mission of the NASA Space Shuttle program and the final flight of Space Shuttle ''Challenger''. Planned as the first Teacher in Space Project flight in addition to observing Halley's Comet for six days and performing a ...

— January 1986 — Pilot — Planned to Deploy

TDRS-B TDRS-B was an American communications satellite, of first generation, which was to have formed part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was destroyed in 1986 when the disintegrated 73 seconds after launch. Launch TDRS-B was la ...

Mission Specialists

James P. Bagian James Philip Bagian, MD, PE (born February 22, 1952), is an American physician, engineer, and former NASA astronaut of Armenian descent. During his career as an astronaut, he logged 337 hours of space-flight, over two missions, STS-29 (in 1989 ...

(born 1952), U.S. Air Force (2 flights) : STS-29 — March 1989 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed TDRS-D :

— June 1991 — Mission Specialist 1 —

: SLS-1 *

(born 1950), Physicist (7 flights) : STS-61-C — January 1986 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed Ku-1 communications satellite : STS-34 — October 1989 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed the

Galileo probe ''Galileo'' was an American robotic space probe that studied the planet Jupiter and its moons, as well as the asteroids Gaspra and Ida. Named after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, it consisted of an orbiter and an entry probe. It was ...

— July 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 — Deployed

European Retrievable Carrier The European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) was an unmanned 4.5-tonne satellite with 15 experiments. It was a European Space Agency (ESA) mission and the acronym was derived from Archimedes' bathtub revelation " Eureka!". It was built by the Germa ...

and flew the

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 ...

's TSS-1 mission :

— February 1994 — Mission Specialist 3 — Spacehab 2 :

STS-75 STS-75 was a 1996 NASA Space Shuttle mission, the 19th mission of the ''Columbia'' orbiter. Crew Allen, Hoffman, Nicollier and Chang-Díaz had previously been members of the STS-46 crew, which had flown the TSS-1 experiment in 1992. Mission ...

— February 1996 — Mission Specialist 4/Payload Commander — The

's TSS-1R mission :

STS-91 STS-91 was the final Space Shuttle mission to the ''Mir'' space station. It was flown by Space Shuttle ''Discovery'', and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 2 June 1998. Crew Mission highlights STS-91 marked the final Shuttle/''M ...

— June 1998 — Mission Specialist 2 — Final Shuttle/Mir mission :

STS-111 STS-111 was a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. STS-111 resupplied the station and replaced the Expedition 4 crew with the Expedition 5 crew. It was launched on 5 June 2002, fro ...

— June 2002 — Mission Specialist 1 — Installed the

Mobile Base System The Mobile Servicing System (MSS), is a robotic system on board the International Space Station (ISS). Launched to the ISS in 2001, it plays a key role in station assembly and maintenance; it moves equipment and supplies around the station, supp ...

for

Canadarm2 The Mobile Servicing System (MSS), is a robotic system on board the International Space Station (ISS). Launched to the ISS in 2001, it plays a key role in station assembly and maintenance; it moves equipment and supplies around the station, supp ...

on the

ISS The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (J ...

Mary L. Cleave Mary Louise Cleave (born February 5, 1947) is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. She also served from 2004 to 2007 as NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. Early life Cleave was born in Southampton, Ne ...

(born 1947), Engineer (2 flights) :

— November 1985 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed 3 communication satellites : STS-30 — May 1989 — Mission Specialist 2 — Deployed the

Bonnie J. Dunbar Bonnie Jeanne Dunbar (born March 3, 1949) is an American engineer and retired NASA astronaut. She flew on five Space Shuttle missions between 1985 and 1998, including two dockings with the ''Mir'' space station. Since leaving NASA, she has worke ...

(born 1949), Scientist (5 flights) :

— October 1985 — Mission Specialist 1 —

D1 :

STS-32 STS-32 was the 33rd mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the ninth launch of . Launched on January 9, 1990, it marked the first use of the Launch Complex 39A of Kennedy Space Center at since 1986; it also marked the first use of Mobil ...

— January 1990 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed the

SYNCOM Syncom (for "synchronous communication satellite") started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by the Space and Communications division of Hughes Aircraft Comp ...

IV-F5 satellite; retrieved the

Long Duration Exposure Facility NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility, or LDEF (pronounced "eldef"), was a school bus-sized cylindrical facility designed to provide long-term experimental data on the outer space environment and its effects on space systems, materials, operatio ...

— June 1992 — Mission Specialist 1 —

: U.S. Microgravity Laboratory 1 :

STS-71 STS-71 was the third mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program and the first Space Shuttle docking to Russian space station ''Mir''. It started on June 27, 1995, with the launch of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' from launchpad 39A at the Kenn ...

— June 1995 — Mission Specialist 3 — First Shuttle/Mir docking :

STS-89 STS-89 was a Space Shuttle mission to the ''Mir'' space station flown by Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Endeavour, '' Endeavour'', and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 22 January 1998. Crew Crew notes STS-89 was originally schedule ...

— January 1998 — Mission Specialist 3 — Eighth Shuttle/Mir docking *

William Frederick Fisher William Frederick Fisher (born April 1, 1946) is an American physician and a former NASA astronaut. Fisher went into space in 1985 on board the Space Shuttle. He retired from NASA in 1992 and returned to the full-time practice of medicine. His ...

(born 1946), Physician (1 flight) :

— August 1985 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed three communications satellites *

David C. Hilmers David Carl Hilmers, M.D. (born January 28, 1950) is a former NASA astronaut who flew four Space Shuttle missions. He was born in Clinton, Iowa, but considers DeWitt, Iowa, to be his hometown. He has two grown sons. His recreational interests in ...

(born 1950), Engineer (4 flights) :

— October 1985 — Mission Specialist 1 — Was a classified

mission :

STS-26 STS-26 was the 26th NASA Space Shuttle mission and the seventh flight of the orbiter ''Discovery''. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 29, 1988, and landed four days later on October 3, 1988. STS-26 was decla ...

— September 1988 — Mission Specialist 3 — Was the "Return-to-Flight" shuttle mission following the ''Challenger'' disaster; deployed TDRS-C :

STS-36 STS-36 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) (believed to have been a Misty reconnaissance satellite) into orbit. STS-36 was the 34th sh ...

— February 1990 — Mission Specialist 2 — Was a classified

mission :

— January 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 —

: IML-1 *

David Leestma David Cornell Leestma (born May 6, 1949) is a former American astronaut and retired Captain in the United States Navy. Personal data Born May 6, 1949, in Muskegon, Michigan. He and his wife have six children. He enjoys golfing, tennis, aviation, ...

(born 1949), U.S. Navy (3 flights) - Former

Manager of JSC's Advanced Planning Office :

STS-41-G STS-41-G (formerly STS-17) was the 13th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the sixth flight of Space Shuttle ''Challenger''. ''Challenger'' launched on October 5, 1984, and conducted the second shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center o ...

— October 1984 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed the

Earth Radiation Budget Satellite The Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) is a NASA scientific research satellite within NASA's ERBE (Earth Radiation Budget Experiment) Research Program - a three-satellite mission, designed to investigate the Earth radiation budget. It also ...

— August 1989 — Mission Specialist 2 — Was a classified

mission :

— March 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 — ATLAS-1 * John M. Lounge (1946–2011), U.S. Navy (3 flights) :

— August 1985 — Mission Specialist 2 — Deployed three communications satellites :

— September 1988 — Mission Specialist 1 — Was the "Return-to-Flight" shuttle mission following the ''Challenger'' disaster; deployed TDRS-C :

— December 1990 — Mission Specialist 2 — ASTRO-1 *

Jerry L. Ross Jerry Lynn Ross (born January 20, 1948, Crown Point, Indiana) is a retired United States Air Force officer, engineer and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions, making him the joint record holder for most space ...

(born 1948), U.S. Air Force (7 flights) - Currently

Chief of JSC's Vehicle Integration Test Office :

— November 1985 — Mission Specialist 2 — Deployed 3 communication satellites :

— December 1988 — Mission Specialist 2 — Was a classified

mission :

STS-37 STS-37, the thirty-ninth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the eighth flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'', was a six-day mission with the primary objective of launching the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), the sec ...

— April 1991 — Mission Specialist 1 — Launched the

Compton Gamma Ray Observatory The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was a space observatory detecting photons with energies from 20 k eV to 30 GeV, in Earth orbit from 1991 to 2000. The observatory featured four main telescopes in one spacecraft, covering X-ra ...

STS-55 STS-55, or Deutschland 2 (D-2), was the 55th overall flight of the NASA Space Shuttle and the 14th flight of Shuttle '' Columbia''. This flight was a multinational Spacelab flight involving 88 experiments from eleven different nations. The expe ...

— April 1993 — Mission Specialist 1 —

: D2 :

STS-74 STS-74 was the fourth mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, and the second docking of the Space Shuttle with ''Mir''. Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' lifted off from Kennedy Space Center launch pad 39A on 12 November 1995. The mission ende ...

— November 1995 — Mission Specialist 2 — Second Shuttle/Mir docking :

STS-88 STS-88 was the first Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It was flown by Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'', and took the first American module, the ''Unity'' node, to the station. The seven-day mission was highlighted by ...

— December 1998 — Mission Specialist 1 — First shuttle mission to the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...

; delivered Unity (Node 1) and the first two

Pressurized Mating Adapter The Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) is a class of spacecraft adapters that convert the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) used on the US Orbital Segment to APAS-95 docking ports. There are three PMAs located on the International Space Station (IS ...

s :

— April 2002 — Mission Specialist 1 — Delivered the S0 Truss and the Mobile Transporter for

* Sherwood C. Spring (born 1944), U.S. Army (1 flight) :

— November 1985 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed 3 communication satellites *

Robert C. Springer Robert Clyde "Bob" Springer (born May 21, 1942) is a retired American astronaut and test pilot who flew as a mission specialist on two NASA Space Shuttle missions in 1989 and 1990. A decorated aviator in the United States Marine Corps, Springer ...

(born 1942), U.S. Marine Corps (2 flights) : STS-29 — March 1989 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed TDRS-D :

STS-38 STS-38 was a Space Shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. It was the 37th shuttle mission, and carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It was the seventh flight for ''Atlantis'' and the se ...

— November 1990 — Mission Specialist 1 — Was a classified

mission

International Mission Specialists

(born 1944), Swiss Air Force (4 flights) :

— July 1992 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed

and flew the

's TSS-1 mission :

STS-61 STS-61 was the first NASA Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, and the fifth flight of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission launched on 2 December 1993 from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The mission restored the spacebor ...

— December 1993 — Mission Specialist 3 —

Servicing Mission 1 :

— February 1996 — Mission Specialist 3 — The

's TSS-1R mission :

STS-103 STS-103 was a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission by Space Shuttle ''Discovery''. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 19 December 1999 and returned on 27 December 1999. It was also the last Shuttle mission of the 19 ...

— December 1999 — Mission Specialist 5 —

Servicing Mission 3A *

(1946–2014), Physicist (1 flight) :

— October 1985 — Payload Specialist 3 —

: D1 Delays in Spacelab caused NASA to offer ESA payload specialists the opportunity to train with its full-time astronauts; Nicollier and Ockels were the first non-Americans to do so.

Ulf Merbold Ulf Dietrich Merbold (born June 20, 1941) is a German physicist and astronaut who flew to space three times, becoming the first West German citizen in space and the first non-American to fly on a NASA spacecraft. Merbold flew on two Space Shut ...

would also have trained as a mission specialist but could not pass the medical examination, an example of the lower physical standards for payload specialists. ESA believed that Spacelab was more important than mission specialist training. In September 1981 Ockels withdrew from training to focus on Spacelab; Nicollier continued and until 2005 was a NASA mission specialist.

References

External links

Astronaut Biographies: Home Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:NASA Astronaut Group 09 NASA Astronaut Corps Lists of astronauts

Achievements

Group members

Pilots

Mission Specialists

International Mission Specialists

See also

References

External links