Kelly Latimer

Last updated
Kelly Latimer
Kelly Latimer.jpg
Latimer in 2016
Alma mater United States Air Force Academy
George Washington University
Employer(s) Virgin Galactic
Virgin Orbit
Space career
Time in space
44 min, 21s
Missions Galactic 02 , Galactic 04 , Galactic 05

Kelly Latimer is a combat veteran, retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel, and commercial spaceship pilot. She was the first female research pilot to join the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. She works with Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit, and was the latter's pilot in command for their first rocket launch in January 2021. [1] Latimer flew the T-38, T-34, Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, Boeing C-17, 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy 747SP. On August 10, 2023 Latimer co-piloted VSS Unity along with Frederick W. Sturckow as commercial astronaut pilot of Virgin's Galactic 02.

Contents

Early life and education

Latimer attended the United States Air Force Academy. [2] In her freshman year she spent her summers learning how to fly gliders, after which she said "I knew I would fly for the rest of my life". [2] After graduating the Air Force Academy, she applied to NASA Armstrong but was not selected. [2] She graduated with a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy in 1987 and a master's degree in astronautics from George Washington University in 1988. [3] [4]

Career

Latimer became a pilot with the United States Air Force. [5] She was a lieutenant colonel. [6] After September 11, 2001, she knew she wanted to get involved with the fight, returning to the 4th Airlift Squadron, McChord Field, for operational and deployed flying. [7] She was part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and flew more than 90 combat sorties. [5] She was commander of the 418th Flight Test Squadron. [8] She was Senior United States Air Force Advisor to the Iraqi Air Force and the reconnaissance squadron. [3] She retired from the Air Force in 2007. [9]

Latimer was the first woman research test pilot hired by Armstrong Flight Research Center, where she ran experimental test flights for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, T-38, T-34 and C-17. [5] [10] [11] She is type-rated in heavy aircraft and fighters, including the Northrop T-38/Northrop F-5. [3] Collectively, Latimer has more than 6,500 flight hours and 1,000 test flight hours in her work with NASA, Boeing and the Air Force. [2]

Latimer became involved with system development and aircraft design during her time at Boeing. [3] She was Chief Pilot and deputy director for Airlift operations for the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. [8] She was responsible for the global operations of the C-17, managing test pilots and training other aircrew. [3] She is a member of the Huntington Beach surfing club Wahine Kai. [12]

In 2015, she joined Virgin Galactic as a spaceship pilot. [2] [13] In 2017 she met Mike Pence when he visited the Mojave desert. [14] She was the first woman to join Virgin Galactic pilot corps [15] and was responsible for flying Virgin Galactic's White Knight Two, a dual fuselage high-wing composite aircraft that carries Spaceship 2. [7] She also piloted the Boeing 747 Cosmic Girl for Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne. [16] On August 10, 2023, aboard VSS Unity along with commercial astronaut pilot Frederick W. Sturckow for the Galactic 02 mission, Latimer officially became one of the first female commercial spaceship pilots. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

Human spaceflight programs have been conducted, started, or planned by multiple countries and companies. Until the 21st century, human spaceflight programs were sponsored exclusively by governments, through either the military or civilian space agencies. With the launch of the privately funded SpaceShipOne in 2004, a new category of human spaceflight programs – commercial human spaceflight – arrived. By the end of 2022, three countries and one private company (SpaceX) had successfully launched humans to Earth orbit, and two private companies had launched humans on a suborbital trajectory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shuttle Carrier Aircraft</span> Extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two retired extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One (N905NA) is a 747-100 model, while the other (N911NA) is a short-range 747-100SR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick W. Sturckow</span> American astronaut

Frederick Wilford "Rick" Sturckow is an engineer, retired United States Marine Corps officer, former NASA astronaut, and commercial spacecraft pilot. Sturckow is a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions. He flew on STS-88 and STS-105 as a pilot and STS-117 and STS-128 as a commander. All four missions docked with the International Space Station, making Sturckow one of three American astronauts to visit the station four times. Sturckow later was assigned to the Johnson Space Center as a CAPCOM. He left NASA in 2013 to become a pilot for Virgin Galactic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mojave Air and Space Port</span> Facility located in Mojave, California

The Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field is in Mojave, California, United States, at an elevation of 2,801 feet (854 m). It is the first facility to be licensed in the United States for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft, being certified as a spaceport by the Federal Aviation Administration on June 17, 2004. The facility covers 2,998 acres and has three runways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin Galactic</span> Space tourism company

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. is a British-American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and the Virgin Group conglomerate which retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and operates from New Mexico. The company is developing commercial spacecraft and aims to provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists. Virgin Galactic's suborbital spacecraft are air launched from beneath a carrier airplane known as White Knight Two. Virgin Galactic's maiden spaceflight occurred in 2018 with its VSS Unity spaceship. Branson had originally hoped to see a maiden spaceflight by 2010, but the date was delayed for several years, and then delayed again, primarily due to the October 2014 crash of VSS Enterprise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air launch</span>

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VSS<i> Enterprise</i> SpaceShipTwo (SS2) spaceplane

VSS Enterprise was the first SpaceShipTwo (SS2) spaceplane, built by Scaled Composites for Virgin Galactic. As of 2004, it was planned to be the first of five commercial suborbital SS2 spacecraft planned by Virgin Galactic. It was also the first ship of the Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo class, based on upscaling the design of record-breaking SpaceShipOne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceShipTwo</span> Suborbital spaceplane for space tourism

The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is an air-launched suborbital spaceplane type designed for space tourism. It is manufactured by The Spaceship Company, a California-based company owned by Virgin Galactic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scaled Composites White Knight Two</span> SpaceShipTwo mother ship

The Scaled Composites Model 348 White Knight Two (WK2) is a quadjet cargo aircraft that is used to lift the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft to release altitude. It was developed by Scaled Composites from 2007 to 2010 as the first stage of Tier 1b, a two-stage to suborbital-space crewed launch system. WK2 is based on the successful mothership to SpaceShipOne, White Knight, which itself is based on Proteus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Spaceship Company</span> Spacecraft manufacturing company

The Spaceship Company (TSC) is a British/American spacecraft manufacturing company that was founded by Burt Rutan and Richard Branson in mid-2005 and was jointly owned by Virgin Group (70%) and Scaled Composites (30%) until 2012 when Virgin Galactic became the sole owner. TSC was formed to own the technology created by Scaled for Virgin Galactic's Virgin SpaceShip program. This includes developments on the care-free reentry system and cantilevered-hybrid rocket motor, licensed from Paul Allen and Burt Rutan's Mojave Aerospace. The company is manufacturing Virgin Galactic's spacecraft and will sell spacecraft to other buyers. The suborbital launch system offered will include the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft and the White Knight Two carrier aircraft.

VSS <i>Unity</i> American commercial sub-orbitable space ship

VSSUnity, previously referred to as VSS Voyager, is a SpaceShipTwo-class suborbital rocket-powered crewed spaceplane. It is the second SpaceShipTwo to be built and is part of the Virgin Galactic fleet. It first reached space as defined by the United States on 13 December 2018, on the VP-03 mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LauncherOne</span> Two-stage, air-launched rocket by Virgin Orbit

LauncherOne was a two-stage orbital launch vehicle developed and flown by Virgin Orbit that had operational flights from 2021 to 2023, after being in development from 2007 to 2020. It was an air-launched rocket, designed to carry smallsat payloads of up to 300 kg (660 lb) into Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), following air launch from a carrier aircraft at high altitude. The rocket was carried to the upper atmosphere on a modified Boeing 747-400, named Cosmic Girl, and released over ocean. Initial work on the program was done by Virgin Galactic, another Virgin Group subsidiary, before a separate entity — Virgin Orbit — was formed in 2017 to complete development and operate the launch service provider business separately from the passenger-carrying Virgin Galactic business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Mackay (pilot)</span> Scottish astronaut (born 1957)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Alsbury</span> American test pilot (1975–2014)

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VSS <i>Unity</i> VP-03 First SpaceShipTwo spaceflight

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark P. Stucky</span> American astronaut

Mark P. "Forger" Stucky is an American test pilot and commercial astronaut. In these roles, he was an employee of Virgin Galactic, a private spaceflight company which is developing sub-orbital space tourism flights.

Michael Masucci is a test pilot for Virgin Galactic and a commercial astronaut. He is a former U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and U2 test pilot. Masucci first flew to space in February 2019, during the VSS Unity VF-01 mission, and again in July 2021, onboard Virgin Galactic Unity 22. He flew to space again onboard Unity 25, on May 9, 2023. Total time in space: 1 hour 35 minutes and 04 seconds

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Robin (July 2021). "Cosmic Carrier". Airliner World: 86–96.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Meet Kelly Latimer: Spaceship Test Pilot - In The Spotlight | Nail Style Magazine | Hand & Nail Harmony". gelish.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Virgin Galactic Appoints Kelly Latimer As Pilot". Space Safety Magazine. 2015-11-11. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  4. ↑ "10 Inspiring Female Explorers to Celebrate on International Women's Day". GORE-TEX Blog. 2018-03-09. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  5. 1 2 3 "Three amazing female pilots break barriers". Aerotech News. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  6. ↑ "It only takes an hour to make fears fly". The News Tribune . Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  7. 1 2 "Eagles". GoE Foundation. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  8. 1 2 "Virgin Galactic recruits female test pilot Kelly Latimer". Space.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  9. ↑ Becker, Joachim. "Biographies of astronaut and cosmonaut candidates: Kelly Latimer". www.spacefacts.de. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  10. ↑ MaxwellGunterAFB (2018-05-22), 2018 GOE LtCol(ret) Kelly Latimer (USAF) Introduction Video , retrieved 2018-06-19
  11. ↑ "NASA outfits over the years. Image 48". TechRepublic . 20 March 2012. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  12. ↑ "Kelly Latimer's sun protected surfing outfit". Surf With Amigas. 2012-05-10. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  13. ↑ US Air Force Academy Association of Graduates (2016-06-14), Ready for Takeoff - Kelly Latimer, Virgin Galactic , retrieved 2018-06-19
  14. ↑ "Kelly Latimer". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  15. ↑ Villagran, Lauren. "Woman joins Virgin Galactic test pilot team". Albuquerque Journal . Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  16. ↑ van Baarsen, Yayeri (27 January 2022). "Kelly Latimer: Virgin Orbit's Chief Test Pilot". Pilot Career News. Seagar. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  17. ↑ Rose, Greg. "Virgin Galactic completes first private astronaut spaceflight". Virgin. Virgin Group. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  18. ↑ Hadfield, Chris. X. Twitter, Inc. https://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/status/1689669687791996929 . Retrieved 21 August 2023.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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