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  STS-118: First flight of an astronaut born after the first moon landing

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Author Topic:   STS-118: First flight of an astronaut born after the first moon landing
Mike Isbell
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Posts: 551
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 08-04-2007 03:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mike Isbell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
In the fall of 1994, a fair amount of preflight publicity occurred prior to the flight of STS-66 about Scott Parazynski being the first astronaut to fly who was born after Alan Shepard's flight on Freedom 7 in 1961. As the launch of STS-118 nears, a lot of publicity is being made about Barbara Morgan finally getting to fly. Another item of historical interest is taking place, with almost no note being taken so far. Dr. Tracy Caldwell is on the verge of becoming the first astronaut who was born after the flight of Apollo 11 in July of 1969 to fly into space. Dr. Caldwell, who will turn 38 on August 14, reminds us that a new generation of astronauts are now in the space program who have been born since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first footsteps on the moon.

Tonyq
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Posts: 199
From: UK
Registered: Jul 2004

posted 08-04-2007 04:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tonyq   Click Here to Email Tonyq     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Not sure if you are refering to NASA astronauts only, but don't forget that Mark Shuttleworth who flew to ISS in 2002, via Soyuz, was born in 1973, after the Apollo moon programme had ended.

Wehaveliftoff
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Registered: Aug 2001

posted 08-06-2007 11:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Wehaveliftoff     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'd go with Mark rather than Tracy as being the first born after the Apollo program.

Greggy_D
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Posts: 977
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006

posted 08-06-2007 05:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Greggy_D   Click Here to Email Greggy_D     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Not me. He bought his ride. She earned/worked for it.

mark plas
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Posts: 385
From: the Netherlands
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 08-07-2007 02:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for mark plas   Click Here to Email mark plas     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
He bought his ride after he had earned the money.

Rodina
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Posts: 836
From: Lafayette, CA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 08-07-2007 06:27 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rodina     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by mark plas:
He bought his ride after he had earned the money.

Amen.

Greggy_D
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Posts: 977
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006

posted 08-07-2007 06:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Greggy_D   Click Here to Email Greggy_D     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So now earning a lot of money is synonymous with getting accepted to and working for the Astronaut Corps? IMHO I don't see it that way.

mark plas
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Posts: 385
From: the Netherlands
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 08-07-2007 10:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for mark plas   Click Here to Email mark plas     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Why didn't he earned his ride? He just got there via a different path then normally. To me he's an Astronaut.

Mark

Tonyq
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Posts: 199
From: UK
Registered: Jul 2004

posted 08-07-2007 11:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tonyq   Click Here to Email Tonyq     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I feel this issue is quite straight forward.

If we are looking for the first NASA astronaut born after the moon landing, then this is going to be Tracy Caldwell.

However, Mark Shuttleworth is the clearly the first person to fly in space born after July 1969. How he got there, how he made the money to achieve it, and whether he is an astronaut, cosmonaut or whatever-naut, are irrelevant - he made it into orbit and it is a distinction which will be his forever !

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-07-2007 12:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Tonyq:
he made it into orbit and it is a distinction which will be his forever!
I agree and I am not sure how anyone can discount (no pun intended) his ride to orbit, unless they are also suggesting that the Russian cosmonaut and ESA astronaut on-board were equally unworthy of their time in space. After all, without Shuttleworth's fare, they wouldn't have flown either.
quote:
Originally posted by mark plas:
To me he's an Astronaut.
If we are going to nitpick, then Shuttleworth is a cosmonaut (by the nature of how he launched) or astronaut (by reaching 62 miles) or spaceflight participant (by mission designation), but he isn't an Astronaut (with a capitalized 'A') as that refers to a NASA employee title.

mjanovec
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Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005

posted 08-07-2007 01:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mjanovec   Click Here to Email mjanovec     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Not to pull this topic too far off course, I was wondering if the Russians have an altitude that they use to distinguish someone as an official flown cosmonaut. There has been the 50 mile and 62 mile altitudes used in the west, depending on what agency you're working for. If there an altitude milepost for cosmonauts?

STEVE SMITH
unregistered
posted 08-07-2007 03:40 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hard to believe we have not had astronauts younger than 38 fly recently..

As a side note, I'm amazed at how multitalented the Astronauts are, and the wide variety of interests they have.

Dr Tracy Caldwell is a good example.

A PhD in science. A champion college athelete in track. Multi lingual. An excellent singer with Max Q, and as if she didn't have enough going is darn good looking.

I really enjoyed meeting and talking with her at AHOF in 2003.

She, and others are to be complemented for their patienece and dedication for waiting for their first ride.

God Speed Tracy, and onward to the Moon and Mars.

Mike Isbell
Member

Posts: 551
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 08-07-2007 07:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mike Isbell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was referring to the NASA astronauts.

tncmaxq
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Posts: 287
From: New Haven, CT USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 08-14-2007 09:20 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for tncmaxq   Click Here to Email tncmaxq     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It is interesting that with each flight we are seeing more and more astronauts born in the 1960s. On 118, 4 of the 7 crew members are younger than I am. That's making me feel my age a little.

One day I hope to meet Leroy Chiao. He stands out to me because he is the first American born after I was (1959) to go into space!

All times are CT (US)

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