|
Author
|
Topic: Astronaut Neil Woodward leaves NASA
|
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 06-28-2008 12:37 PM
   
According to 1998 Astronaut Class member Neil Woodward's personal Twitter page, he is a "soon-to-be-retired Astronaut" and is moving from Washington, DC, where he is currently deputy director for Constellation Systems, to Seattle, WA. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 06-28-2008 03:40 PM
I wonder why he never made it into space. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 06-28-2008 06:03 PM
If one looks closely at Woodward's NASA bio, one notices something a little different in the last paragraph. Normally, that last part refers to how the individual completed the astronaut-candidate training program, and thus became eligible for flight assignment. In Woodward's case, however, it only describes the ASCAN program in general; no mention of him having actually completed it.I wonder if there was a previously undetected medical condition that surfaced, or possibly an injury that prevented him from completing the program. Due to privacy issues, that would not have been revealed. Whatever the case, something happened that prevented him from doing the job for which he was initially hired, namely flying in space. Woodward joins a short list of individuals who can claim they are former NASA astronauts, but never flew a mission: Duane E. Graveline.
F. Curtis Michel.
John S. Bull.
Philip K. Chapman.
Donald L. Holmquest.
J. Anthony Llewellyn.
Brian T. O'Leary.
Christopher "Gus" Loria. Also apparently to be on that list eventually: Yvonne Cagle and Fernando "Frank" Caldero, who are still listed as Management Astronauts, but who no longer appear on the annual NASA Astronaut Poster and have long ago been by-passed for flight assignment. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
|
posted 06-28-2008 06:30 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Delta7:
I wonder if there was a previously undetected medical condition that surfaced, or possibly an injury that prevented him from completing the program.
Yes, but the first sentence in that paragraph says... "Selected by NASA in June 1998..." |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
|
posted 06-28-2008 06:38 PM
Woodward did complete the ASCAN program, at least according to all my information. He was assigned to the Shuttle ops branch in December 1999, then to ISS Expedition training. His official NASA bio called him a "candidate" prior to June 2000 (when his ASCAN group formally completed training), an astronaut or mission specialist -- no "candidate" -- after that.(Melvin's contemporaneous bio, which I just checked, also lacks a mention of "completed" training.) That said, it's obvious that Woodward suffered some sort of disqualification -- I might date it to 2003-2004. His last JSC assignment was as crew support for Expedition-8. After that, he was detailed to HQ. Michael Cassutt |
eurospace
Member Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000
|
posted 07-10-2008 12:27 AM
I have a lead for Woodward into Oklahoma City, OK, but no precise information about his professional plans there yet.------------------
Jürgen P Esders
Berlin, Germany International Director (Europe), Space Unit
Vice President, Weltraum Philatelie e. V. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Astroaddies |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-25-2008 10:45 AM
Neil Woodward's NASA biography has been moved to the Former Astronauts page. |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
|
posted 07-25-2008 03:09 PM
quote:
Originally posted by eurospace:
I have a lead for Woodward into Oklahoma City, OK, but no precise information about his professional plans there yet.
You might want to double-check that -- Woodward's father, also named Neil, I believe, lives in OKC.My info is that Woodward is headed for an IT/internet company in Seattle, fall 2008. Michael Cassutt |
tncmaxq
Member Posts: 287
From: New Haven, CT USA
Registered: Oct 2001
|
posted 07-25-2008 04:41 PM
I am surprised at Gus Loria. Why did he leave? I had not heard about it. He had been capcom on liftoff a few times and I thought that was like a "precursor" to getting assigned to a flight. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-25-2008 05:03 PM
Loria had been assigned to fly STS-113 as pilot be an undisclosed injury forced his being replaced by Paul Lockhart. Loria "had had an accident at home and suffered an injury," said NASA at the time. To quote Wikipedia: During the fall of 2004, Colonel Loria's injuries were deemed inoperable and resulted in his being medically disqualified from space flight exploration missions. Colonel Loria requested assignment back to the operational forces of the Marine Corps where he served as the Inspector General for the 1st Marine Air Wing, Okinawa, Japan and presently serves as the Director of Operations (J3) for Cheyenne Mountain, NORAD. |
MSS
Member Posts: 633
From: Poland
Registered: May 2003
|
posted 07-28-2008 11:30 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Michael Cassutt:
My info is that Woodward is headed for an IT/internet company in Seattle, fall 2008.
His last workday in NASA was July 21st!------------------
Maciej,
Astronauts, Cosmonauts & their flights |
eurospace
Member Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000
|
posted 07-29-2008 11:55 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
Loria had been assigned to fly STS-113 as pilot be an undisclosed injury forced his being replaced by Paul Lockhart.
Undisclosed? The same Wikipedia text mentions "severe back injury", and, in the right box, "3 herniated lumbar discs". That is pretty detailed for "undisclosed" if you ask me... just the disc numbers are missing (I'd say L3/L4/L5)... ------------------
Jürgen P Esders
Berlin, Germany International Director (Europe), Space Unit
Vice President, Weltraum Philatelie e. V.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Astroaddies |
advertisement