Tom Henricks | |
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| Born | July 5, 1952 Bryan, Ohio, U.S. |
| Status | Retired |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy (BS) Golden Gate University (MPA) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Colonel, USAF |
Time in space | 42d 18h 38m |
| Selection | 1985 NASA Group |
| Missions | STS-44, STS-55, STS-70, STS-78 |
Mission insignia |     |
Terence Thomas "Tom" Henricks (born July 5, 1952) is a retired colonel in the United States Air Force and a former NASA astronaut. He served on four Space Shuttle missions.
Henricks was born on July 5, 1952, in Bryan, Ohio to Terry and Martha Henricks, but considers Woodville, Ohio to be his hometown. He graduated from Woodmore High School in 1970. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1974 and his Master of Public Administration degree from Golden Gate University in 1982. He is married and has three children. He currently resides in Blanco, Texas with his wife Rebecca.
Henricks completed pilot training at Craig Air Force Base (AFB) in Selma, Alabama, and F-4 Phantom II conversion training at Homestead AFB in Miami, Florida. He then flew the F-4 in fighter squadrons in England and Iceland. In 1980, he was reassigned to Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada. After attending the USAF Test Pilot School in 1983, he remained at Edwards AFB, California, as an F-16C test pilot and Chief of the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing Operating Location until his NASA selection. He has 749 parachute jumps and a Master Parachutist rating. He has flown 30 different types of aircraft, has logged over 6,000 hours flying time, and holds an FAA commercial pilot rating.
Selected by NASA in June 1985, Henricks became an astronaut in July 1986. His technical assignments to date include: re-evaluating Shuttle landing sites worldwide; Assistant Manager for Engineering Integration in the Shuttle Program Office; Lead Astronaut of the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory at Johnson Space Center, and of Vehicle Test and Checkout at the Kennedy Space Center; Chief of the Astronaut Office Operations Development Branch. He also served as the Assistant for Shuttle to the Chief of the Astronaut Office, directing crew involvement in the development and operation of the Shuttle. A commander of two Space Shuttle missions and pilot of two others, Henricks became the first person to log over 1,000 hours as a Space Shuttle pilot/commander. Tom Henricks left government service in November 1997 to pursue a career in business. He held the position of President of McGraw-Hill's Aviation Week, based in New York City until his departure in 2010 to pursue other opportunities. [1]
STS-44 Atlantis launched the night of November 24, 1991. The primary mission objective was the deployment of a Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite with an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) rocket booster. The mission was concluded after 110 orbits of the Earth returning to a landing on the lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 1, 1991. [1] [2]
STS-55, the German D-2 Spacelab mission, was launched on April 26, 1993, aboard Columbia, and landed 10 days later on May 6, 1993, at Edwards AFB California. During the ambitious mission 89 experiments were performed in many disciplines such as materials processing, life sciences, robotics, technology, astronomy, and Earth mapping. [1] [3]
STS-70 launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 13, 1995, and returned there July 22, 1995. During 142 orbits of the Earth, the crew performed a variety of experiments in addition to deploying the sixth and final NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite. STS-70, with an "all-Ohio" crew, was the first mission controlled from the new combined control center. [1] [4]
STS-78 launched June 20, 1996 and landed July 7, 1996, becoming the longest Space Shuttle mission to date (later that year the STS-80 mission broke its record by 19 hours.) The 16-day mission included studies sponsored by 10 nations and five space agencies, and was the first mission to combine both a full microgravity studies agenda and a comprehensive life science investigation. The Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission served as a model for future studies on board the International Space Station. [1] [5]
Kenneth Dwane "Sox" Bowersox is a United States Navy officer, and a 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 at the age of 38 years and 11 months, he became the youngest person to command a Space Shuttle.
Kenneth Dale "Taco" Cockrell is a retired American astronaut, engineer and a veteran of five Space Shuttle missions. He served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1997 to 1998.
James Donald Halsell Jr. is a retired United States Air Force officer, a former NASA astronaut. The veteran of five Space Shuttle missions pled guilty in 2021 to two counts of manslaughter and two counts of assault as a result of a motor vehicle accident in 2016. As of May 2021, he is incarcerated in Alabama.
Curtis Lee "Curt" Brown Jr. is a former NASA astronaut and retired United States Air Force colonel.
Richard James Hieb is a former NASA astronaut and a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions. He was a mission specialist on STS-39 and STS-49, and was a payload commander on STS-65. After leaving NASA he worked at AlliedSignal and Orbital before spending 14 years as an executive at Lockheed Martin. He is currently a faculty member in the University of Colorado Boulder Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department.
Andrew Michael "Andy" Allen is a retired American astronaut. A former Marine aviator and lieutenant colonel, he worked as a test pilot before joining NASA in 1987. He flew three Space Shuttle missions before retiring in 1997.
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.
Robert Donald Cabana is the Associate Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a NASA astronaut, and a veteran of four Space Shuttle flights. He served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1994 to 1997 and as director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center from 2008 to 2021. He is also a former naval flight officer and naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps.
Brian Duffy is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and a former NASA astronaut. He flew aboard four Space Shuttle missions.
Charles Donald "Sam" Gemar is an American former astronaut with NASA and a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army. Gemar has flown on three Space Shuttle missions. Gemar has completed 385 orbits of the Earth and over 581 hours in space. He has also served in different positions in NASA, including as a CAPCOM for Shuttle missions. Gemar was the first astronaut to be born in the state of South Dakota.
Linda Maxine Godwin is an American scientist and retired NASA astronaut. Godwin joined NASA in 1980 and became an astronaut in July 1986. She retired in 2010. During her career, Godwin completed four space flights and logged over 38 days in space. Godwin also served as the assistant to the director for exploration, Flight Crew Operations Directorate at the Johnson Space Center. Since retiring from NASA, she accepted the position of professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri.
Kevin Richard Kregel is an American former astronaut, and former member of the Space Launch Initiative Project at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.
Donald Ray McMonagle is a former astronaut and a veteran of three shuttle flights. He became the Manager, Launch Integration, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 15, 1997. In this capacity he was responsible for final shuttle preparation, launch execution, and return of the orbiter to KSC following landings at any other location. He was chair of the Mission Management Team, and was the final authority for launch decision.
Stephen Scot Oswald is an American former pilot and NASA astronaut.
Richard Alan "Rick" Searfoss was an American aviator who was United States Air Force colonel, NASA astronaut and test pilot.
Pierre Joseph Thuot is a retired United States Navy captain and NASA astronaut. He went into space three times, spending over 650 hours in space, including over 15 hours in three space walks. He is a former U.S. record holder for time spent on one spacewalk, and participated in the first three-person spacewalk.
Carl Erwin Walz is a retired NASA astronaut currently working for Orbital Sciences Corporation's Advanced Programs Group as vice president for Human Space Flight Operations. Walz was formerly assigned to the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He was the Acting Director for the Advanced Capabilities Division in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, and was responsible for a broad range of activities to include Human Research, Technology Development, Nuclear Power and Propulsion and the Lunar Robotic Exploration Programs to support the Vision for Space Exploration.
NASA Astronaut Group 9 was a group of 19 NASA astronauts 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 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.
NASA Astronaut Group 12 was a group of 15 astronauts announced by NASA on June 5, 1987.
NASA Astronaut Group 11 was a group of 13 NASA astronauts announced on 4 June 1985.
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