|
Author
|
Topic: Future space shuttle crew assignments
|
Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 02-24-2009 03:46 PM
   
With his and his STS-123 crewmates' release from the STS-400 contigency crew, I'll be willing to bet Box Johnson will be named as CDR of STS-132 or 133. |
RMH
Member Posts: 577
From: Ohio
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 02-24-2009 03:46 PM
According to Johnson (during a recent presentation) he is hopeful to be named to one of the last three flights as a pilot but sees a commander role as highly unlikely. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 02-24-2009 03:47 PM
Seems kind of unusual, as most of his classmates were upgraded to CDR after their 1st mission (Ferguson, Archambault, Zamka, Poindexter; presumably Ham has or will be as well). |
webhamster
Member Posts: 106
From: Ottawa, Canada
Registered: Jul 2008
|
posted 02-24-2009 04:07 PM
The reason may well be that all unflown astronauts will have flown by STS-131 thus there will be no rookies left to fill a PLT seat so there's no sense in upgrading someone if there's nobody to fill the right seat.Simple math dictates that some people (like Johnson, Ham, Boe) will probably have to fly twice in the PLT seat as the program finishes out. It also probably increases the odds of Frick, Melroy, or Mark Kelly getting the final commands on 132, 133, and maybe 134. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 02-24-2009 04:07 PM
True. But I figured Johnson and Ham were shoe-ins for CDR, with the 3rd slot going to Melroy, M. Kelly, Ferguson or "Ray Jay" Johnson. And the PLT slots going to Boe, Antonelli and Hurley, them being lower on the "Totem Pole" due to the fact they're from a later selection group.Does this mean Ham won't be commanding either? If he does, why him and not Johnson? Since Johnson flew before Ham, and that seems to dictate the sequence of promotion as evidenced by the other members of the class of '98, it would seem odd. I suppose NASA could be of the mind that it has enough trained and experienced CDRs that it doesn't need to train any more. BTW, I read an interview with Frick where he said he didn't plan on flying the Shuttle again. In fact, NASA's Astronaut Biographies page currently lists him as "Management" with the Constellation Program. |
webhamster
Member Posts: 106
From: Ottawa, Canada
Registered: Jul 2008
|
posted 02-24-2009 04:07 PM
I learned long ago not to even guess at the black arts of crew selection, but for Antonelli and Hurley to get those slots they'd have to jump right back into full-time training right after their flights. Certainly not impossible and it's been done before, but with an end date in May, if any flights slip...Given this, I don't think we can expect a crew announcement for 132 until at least May. 133, probably then not until August/September. The window gets narrower and narrower. That may be the genesis "Box" Johnson's uncertainty. I think though, whether left or right seat that he's likely a lock for one of those seats on 132. I think that the last 2 (not counting 134 right now) will likely have one of these variations: ?/Johnson
?/Ham
Johnson/Antonelli
Johnson/Johnson (!)
Ham/Johnson |
irish guy
Member Posts: 287
From: Kerry Ireland
Registered: Dec 2001
|
posted 02-25-2009 11:30 AM
I would love to hear of Box Johnson getting one more flight, one of the nicest guys I ever met in the Astronaut Office... have to ask this, what has become of Jim "Vegas" Kelly has he a hope of getting a flight before the end of the Shuttle era? |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005
|
posted 02-25-2009 12:02 PM
I heard a while back that Vegas is already working on Constellation. But we'll see if he gets his shuttle command. The program ain't over until it's over.Tim |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
|
posted 02-25-2009 09:50 PM
Just my two cents worth:STS-132 Melroy / (Box) Johnson
STS-133 (Ray J) Johnson / Ham
STS-134 J. Kelly / Bresnik Thank you. |
advertisement