STS-4 was the fourth NASA Space Shuttle mission,and also the fourth for Space Shuttle Columbia. Crewed by Ken Mattingly and Henry Hartsfield,the mission launched on June 27,1982,and landed a week later on July 4,1982. Due to parachute malfunctions,the SRBs were not recovered.
STS-6 was the sixth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the maiden flight of the Space ShuttleChallenger. Launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 4,1983,the mission deployed the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite,TDRS-1,into orbit,before landing at Edwards Air Force Base on April 9,1983. STS-6 was the first Space Shuttle mission during which a Extravehicular activity was conducted,and hence was the first in which the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) was used.
Jerry Lynn Ross is a retired United States Air Force officer,engineer,and a former NASA astronaut. Ross is a veteran of 7 Space Shuttle missions,making him the joint record holder for most spaceflights.
Henry Warren Hartsfield Jr. was a United States Air Force Colonel and NASA astronaut who logged over 480 hours in space. He was inducted into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006.
Charles Gordon Fullerton was a United States Air Force colonel,a USAF and NASA astronaut,and a research pilot at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility,Edwards,California. His assignments included a variety of flight research and support activities piloting NASA's B-52 launch aircraft,the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA),and other multi-engine and high performance aircraft.
Vance DeVoe Brand is an American naval officer,aviator,aeronautical engineer,test pilot,and NASA astronaut. He served as command module pilot during the first U.S.-Soviet joint spaceflight in 1975,and as commander of three Space Shuttle missions.
Colonel Robert Franklyn "Bob" Overmyer was an American test pilot,naval aviator,aeronautical engineer,physicist,United States Marine Corps officer,and USAF/NASA astronaut. Overmyer was selected by the Air Force as an astronaut for its Manned Orbiting Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of the program in 1969,he became a NASA astronaut and served support crew duties for the Apollo program,Skylab program,and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. In 1976,he was assigned to the Space Shuttle program and flew as pilot on STS-5 in 1982 and as commander on STS-51-B in 1985. He was selected as a lead investigator into the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986,retiring from NASA that same year. A decade later,Overmyer died while testing the Cirrus VK-30 homebuilt aircraft.
Brewster Hopkinson Shaw Jr. is a retired NASA astronaut,U.S. Air Force colonel,and former executive at Boeing. Shaw was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 6,2006.
John Elmer Blaha is a retired United States Air Force colonel and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of five space missions aboard the Space Shuttle and Mir.
Kevin Patrick "Chilli" Chilton is an American mechanical engineer and retired United States Air Force four-star general,test pilot,and NASA astronaut. His last assignment was as commander of U.S. Strategic Command from October 3,2007,to January 28,2011. Prior to his appointment to general officer ranks,Chilton spent 11 years of his military career as a NASA astronaut. He retired from the Air Force on February 1,2011,after having achieved the highest rank of any military astronaut. On January 30,2012,General Chilton was named to the board of directors of Orbital Sciences Corporation.
William George "Borneo" Gregory is an American retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force lieutenant colonel.
Frederick Drew Gregory is a former United States Air Force pilot,military engineer,test pilot,and NASA astronaut as well as former NASA Deputy Administrator. He also served briefly as NASA Acting Administrator in early 2005,covering the period between the departure of Sean O'Keefe and the swearing in of Michael D. Griffin.
Terence Thomas "Tom" Henricks is a retired colonel in the United States Air Force and a former NASA astronaut. He served on four Space Shuttle missions.
Steven Wayne Lindsey is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. Lindsey served as Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office from September 2006 until October 2009.
Mark Lewis "Roman" Polansky is an American aerospace engineer and research pilot and a former NASA astronaut. Polansky received the nickname "Roman" as a joke,because he shares a last name with director Roman Polanski. He flew on three Space Shuttle missions:STS-98,STS-116,and STS-127 and was first person of Korean ancestry in space.
Charles Joseph Precourt is a retired NASA astronaut. His career in flight began at an early age,and spans his entire lifetime. He served in the US Air Force,piloted numerous jet aircraft,and piloted and commanded the Space Shuttle. Notably,he piloted or commanded several missions which involved docking with the Russian Mir space station and was heavily involved in Russian/US Space relations as well as the International Space Station collaboration. He also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1998 to 2002. He retired from the USAF with the rank of colonel.
The Air Force Test Center (AFTC) is a development and test organization of the United States Air Force. It conducts research,development,test,and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the Army Air Force's and the Air Force's inventory since World War II. The center employs nearly 13,000 people,and controls the second largest base in the Air Force.
Kevin Anthony Ford is a retired United States Air Force Colonel and NASA astronaut. Ford has received a number of special honors and awards,some of which are the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal,Air Force Commendation Medal,Aerial Achievement Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. Ford has also logged more than 6,100 flying hours and also holds FAA certificates for airplanes,helicopters,gliders,and balloons. Ford has served in many roles at NASA since his selection in July 2000. The roles include as a Capsule Communicator or CAPCOM. He was also the Director Of Operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City,Russia from January 2004 to January 2005. He was pilot of STS-128 and flight engineer 2 of Soyuz TMA-06M from October 23,2012,to March 16,2013. He served as ISS flight engineer for Expedition 33,and commander of Expedition 34.
Lieutenant General Clyde Dewey Moore II is a retired United States Air Force officer who served as Commander,Air Force Life Cycle Management Center,Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,Ohio. The organization is the single center responsible for total life cycle management covering all aircraft,engines,munitions,and electronic systems.
Major General Jeffrey R. Riemer is a retired major general in the United States Air Force. He served as the program executive officer for the F-22 Program for the United States Air Force from January 2007 to October 1,2008. During this time he was responsible for all acquisition activities including the awarding of a $5 billion contract extension for the procurement of an additional 60 aircraft. He previously served as commander of the Air Armament Center from December 2005 to January 2007.
