NASA Astronaut Group 9 was a group of 19 NASA astronauts announced on May 29, 1980,[1] 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 astronauts Claude Nicollier and Wubbo Ockels. 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.[1]
| 19+80 | |
|---|---|
 Group 9 astronauts. Back row, L-R: Gardner, Springer, O'Connor, Ockels, Smith, Lounge. Middle row, L-R: Bagian, Blaha, Nicollier, Hilmers, Fisher, Dunbar, Ross. Front row, L-R: Bolden, Chang-Diaz, Cleave, Leestma, Spring, Richards, Bridges | |
| Year selected | 1980 |
| Number selected | 19 |
Achievements
editAs with the previous group, several spaceflight firsts were achieved, including:
- First Costa Rican astronaut: Franklin Chang-Diaz (January 12, 1986, STS-61-C)[2]
- First Dutch citizen in space: Wubbo Ockels (October 30, 1985, STS-61-A)[3]
- First Swiss astronaut: Claude Nicollier (July 31, 1992, STS-46)[4]
- First African-American Marine in space: Charles Bolden (January 12, 1986, STS-61-C)[5]
- First person to be launched into space more than six times: Jerry Ross (April 8, 2002, STS-110)[6]
- First astronaut spouse selected as an astronaut: William Fisher (August 27, 1985, STS-51-I; married to Anna Fisher, Group 8 astronaut)[7]
In addition, Chang-Diaz and Ross share the world record for the most spaceflights, with seven each.[8] Bolden also became the second astronaut to serve as NASA Administrator, appointed in July 2009.[9]
Group members
editPilots
edit- John E. Blaha (born 1942), U.S. Air Force (5 flights)[10]
- STS-29 Discovery[10] — March 1989 — Pilot — Deployed TDRS-D
- STS-33 Discovery[10] — November 1989 — Pilot — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
- STS-43 Atlantis[10] — August 1991 — Commander — Deployed TDRS-E
- STS-58 Columbia[10] — October 1993 — Commander — Spacelab: SLS-2
- STS-79 Atlantis[10] — September 1996 — Mission Specialist 4 — Launched for long duration flight aboard Mir
- Mir EO-22: Board Engineer 2[10]
- STS-81 Atlantis[10] — January 1997 — Mission Specialist 4 — Landed from long duration flight aboard Mir
- Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (born 1946), U.S. Marine Corps (4 flights)[11] - Former NASA Administrator
- STS-61-C Columbia[11] — January 1986 — Pilot — Deployed Ku-1 communications satellite
- STS-31 Discovery[11] — April 1990 — Pilot — Deployed the Hubble Space Telescope
- STS-45 Atlantis[11] — March 1992 — Commander — ATLAS-1
- STS-60 Discovery[11] — February 1994 — Commander — Spacehab 2
- Roy D. Bridges, Jr. (born 1943), U.S. Air Force (1 flight)[12]
- STS-51-F Challenger[12] — July 1985 — Pilot — Spacelab 2
- Guy S. Gardner (born 1948), U.S. Air Force (2 flights)[13]
- STS-27 Atlantis[13] — December 1988 — Pilot — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
- STS-35 Columbia[13] — December 1990 — Pilot — ASTRO-1
- Ronald J. Grabe (born 1945), U.S. Air Force (4 flights)[14]
- STS-51-J Atlantis[14] — October 1985 — Pilot — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
- STS-30 Atlantis[14] — May 1989 — Pilot — Deployed the Magellan probe
- STS-42 Discovery[14] — January 1992 — Commander — Spacelab: IML-1
- STS-57 Endeavour[14] — June 1993 — Commander — Spacehab
- Bryan D. O'Connor (born 1946), U.S. Marine Corps (2 flights)[15] - Former NASA Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance
- STS-61-B Atlantis[15] — November 1985 — Pilot — Deployed 3 communication satellites
- STS-40 Columbia[15] — June 1991 — Commander — Spacelab: SLS-1
- Richard N. Richards (born 1946), U.S. Navy (4 flights)[16]
- STS-28 Columbia[16] — August 1989 — Pilot — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
- STS-41 Discovery[16] — October 1990 — Commander — Deployed the Ulysses (spacecraft)
- STS-50 Columbia[16] — June 1992 — Commander — Spacelab: U.S. Microgravity Laboratory 1
- STS-64 Discovery[16] — September 1994 — Commander — Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE)
- Michael J. Smith (1945–1986), U.S. Navy (1 flight)[17] - Died During the Challenger Disaster
- STS-51-L Challenger[17] — January 1986 — Pilot — Planned to Deploy TDRS-B
Mission Specialists
edit- James P. Bagian (born 1952), U.S. Air Force (2 flights)[18]
- STS-29 Discovery[18] — March 1989 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed TDRS-D
- STS-40 Columbia[18] — June 1991 — Mission Specialist 1 — Spacelab: SLS-1
- Franklin Chang-Diaz (born 1950), Physicist (7 flights)[19]
- STS-61-C Columbia[19] — January 1986 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed Ku-1 communications satellite
- STS-34 Atlantis[19] — October 1989 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed the Galileo probe
- STS-46 Atlantis[19] — July 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 — Deployed ESA's European Retrievable Carrier and flew the Tethered Satellite System's TSS-1 mission
- STS-60 Discovery[19] — February 1994 — Mission Specialist 3 — Spacehab 2
- STS-75 Columbia[19] — February 1996 — Mission Specialist 4/Payload Commander — The Tethered Satellite System's TSS-1R mission
- STS-91 Discovery[19] — June 1998 — Mission Specialist 2 — Final Shuttle/Mir mission
- STS-111 Endeavour[19] — June 2002 — Mission Specialist 1 — Installed the Mobile Base System for Canadarm2 on the ISS
- Mary L. Cleave (1947-2023), Engineer (2 flights)[20]
- STS-61-B Atlantis[20] — November 1985 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed 3 communication satellites
- STS-30 Atlantis[20] — May 1989 — Mission Specialist 2 — Deployed the Magellan probe
- Bonnie J. Dunbar (born 1949), Scientist (5 flights)[21]
- STS-61-A Challenger[21] — October 1985 — Mission Specialist 1 — Spacelab D1
- STS-32 Columbia[21] — January 1990 — Mission Specialist 1 — Deployed the SYNCOM IV-F5 satellite; retrieved the Long Duration Exposure Facility
- STS-50 Columbia[21] — June 1992 — Mission Specialist 1 — Spacelab: U.S. Microgravity Laboratory 1
- STS-71 Atlantis[21] — June 1995 — Mission Specialist 3 — First Shuttle/Mir docking
- STS-89 Endeavour[21] — January 1998 — Mission Specialist 3 — Eighth Shuttle/Mir docking
- William Frederick Fisher (born 1946), Physician (1 flight)[22]
- STS-51-I Discovery[22] — August 1985 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed three communications satellites
- David C. Hilmers (born 1950), Engineer (4 flights)[23]
- STS-51-J Atlantis[23] — October 1985 — Mission Specialist 1 — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
- STS-26 Discovery[23] — September 1988 — Mission Specialist 3 — Was the "Return-to-Flight" shuttle mission following the Challenger disaster; deployed TDRS-C
- STS-36 Atlantis[23] — February 1990 — Mission Specialist 2 — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
- STS-42 Discovery[23] — January 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 — Spacelab: IML-1
- David Leestma (born 1949), U.S. Navy (3 flights)[24] - Former NASA Manager of JSC's Advanced Planning Office
- STS-41-G Challenger[24] — October 1984 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite
- STS-28 Columbia[24] — August 1989 — Mission Specialist 2 — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
- STS-45 Atlantis[24] — March 1992 — Mission Specialist 2 — ATLAS-1
- John M. Lounge (1946–2011), U.S. Navy (3 flights)[25]
- STS-51-I Discovery[25] — August 1985 — Mission Specialist 2 — Deployed three communications satellites
- STS-26 Discovery[25] — September 1988 — Mission Specialist 1 — Was the "Return-to-Flight" shuttle mission following the Challenger disaster; deployed TDRS-C
- STS-35 Columbia[25] — December 1990 — Mission Specialist 2 — ASTRO-1
- Jerry L. Ross (born 1948), U.S. Air Force (7 flights)[26] - Currently NASA Chief of JSC's Vehicle Integration Test Office
- STS-61-B Atlantis[26] — November 1985 — Mission Specialist 2 — Deployed 3 communication satellites
- STS-27 Atlantis[26] — December 1988 — Mission Specialist 2 — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
- STS-37 Atlantis[26] — April 1991 — Mission Specialist 1 — Launched the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory
- STS-55 Columbia[26] — April 1993 — Mission Specialist 1 — Spacelab: D2
- STS-74 Atlantis[26] — November 1995 — Mission Specialist 2 — Second Shuttle/Mir docking
- STS-88 Endeavour[26] — December 1998 — Mission Specialist 1 — First shuttle mission to the International Space Station; delivered Unity (Node 1) and the first two Pressurized Mating Adapters
- STS-110 Atlantis[26] — April 2002 — Mission Specialist 1 — Delivered the S0 Truss and the Mobile Transporter for Canadarm2
- Sherwood C. Spring (born 1944), U.S. Army (1 flight)[27]
- Robert C. Springer (born 1942), U.S. Marine Corps (2 flights)[28]
- STS-29 Discovery[28] — March 1989 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed TDRS-D
- STS-38 Atlantis[28] — November 1990 — Mission Specialist 1 — Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission
International Mission Specialists
edit- Claude Nicollier (born 1944), Swiss Air Force (4 flights)[29]
- STS-46 Atlantis[30] — July 1992 — Mission Specialist 3 — Deployed ESA's European Retrievable Carrier and flew the Tethered Satellite System's TSS-1 mission
- STS-61 Endeavour[31] — December 1993 — Mission Specialist 3 — Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 1
- STS-75 Columbia[32] — February 1996 — Mission Specialist 3 — The Tethered Satellite System's TSS-1R mission
- STS-103 Discovery[33] — December 1999 — Mission Specialist 5 — Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 3A
- Wubbo Ockels (1946–2014), Physicist (1 flight)[34]
- STS-61-A Challenger[35] — October 1985 — Payload Specialist 3 — Spacelab: 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 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.[36]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b White, Terry (May 29, 1980). "80-038: NASA Selects 19 Astronaut Candidates" (PDF). JSC News Releases. Houston, Texas: NASA. pp. 80–81. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (2018). "NASA's Hispanic Astronauts" (PDF). NASA Facts. Houston, Texas: NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Petty, John Ira (March 29, 2004). "Dutch Doctor Bound for Space Station". NASA News. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
The first space-faring Dutch astronaut was Wubbo Ockels, who flew aboard Space Shuttle Challenger in 1985.
- ^ Garret, David W. (December 21, 1992). "92-228: 1992 Seen as NASA's Most Productive Year for Science Discoveries" (TXT). NASA News. Washington, D.C.: NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
International cooperation was highlighted by the flight of the first Swiss astronaut and the first Italian payload specialist on STS-46...
- ^ Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (2018). "NASA's African-American Astronauts" (PDF). NASA Facts. Houston, Texas: NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Buck, Joshua; Cloutier-Lemasters, Nicole (January 27, 2012). "12-033: Astronaut Jerry Ross, First Seven-Time Flier, Retires". NASA News. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Ross-Nazzal, Jennifer (March 3, 2011). "Anna L. Fisher". Johnson Space Center Oral History Project. Houston, Texas: NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
You were the first married couple in the Astronaut Office.
- ^ Smith, Yvette (September 18, 2020). "Franklin Chang-Diaz Performs a Spacewalk on the STS-111 Mission". Historic Missions. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Cabbage, Michael (July 15, 2009). "09-165: Bolden and Garver Confirmed by U.S. Senate". NASA News. Washington, D.C.: NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (May 2008). "John E. Blaha" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (January 2017). "Charles F. Bolden, Jr" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (October 2005). "Roy D. Bridges, Jr" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (December 1994). "Guy S. Gardner" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (July 1999). "Ronald J. Grabe" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (August 2011). "Bryan D. O'Connor" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (July 2007). "Richard N. Richards" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (December 2003). "Michael J. Smith" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (May 1995). "James P. Bagian" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (September 2012). "Franklin R. Chang-Diaz" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (February 2007). "Mary L. Cleave" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (September 2005). "Bonnie J. Dunbar" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (December 1993). "William F. Fisher" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (December 1993). "David C. Hilmers" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (May 2014). "David C. Leestma" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (May 2011). "John M. Lounge" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (May 2014). "Jerry L. Ross" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (December 1994). "Sherwood C. Spring" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (June 2011). "Sherwood C. Spring" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ "Claude Nicollier". Personal Data. Paris: ESA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Ryba, Jeanne (March 31, 2010). "STS-46". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Ryba, Jeanne (March 31, 2010). "STS-61". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Ryba, Jeanne (November 23, 2007). "STS-75". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Ryba, Jeanne (November 23, 2007). "STS-103". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ "Wubbo J. Ockels". Personal Data. Paris: ESA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Ryba, Jeanne (February 18, 2010). "STS-61A". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Croft, Melvin; Youskauskas, John (2019). Come Fly with Us: NASA's Payload Specialist Program. Outward Odyssey: a People's History of Spaceflight. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 63–64. ISBN 9781496212252.