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Author
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Topic: Ascan or astronaut? Hopkins assigned to ISS
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Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 02-18-2011 01:04 PM
   
Does the announcement of Mike Hopkins' selection for Expedition 37/38 imply that the Astronaut Class of 2009 are no longer officially astronaut candidates? Or is that program still in progress? (If so, I guess he found out he passed!) |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-18-2011 01:06 PM
My understanding is that he and his fellow "Chumps" are still ascans and will graduate from basic training later this summer.It does raise a question though, is Mike Hopkins the first NASA ascan to be publicly assigned to a flight before being named a full-fledged astronaut? |
dabolton
Member Posts: 419
From: Seneca, IL, US
Registered: Jan 2009
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posted 02-20-2011 05:27 PM
The Chumps are the first class not be trained in shuttle systems; does that mean their training is accelerated towards ISS systems/Soyuz systems? Originally they were Orion bound; I assume that training is in limbo? |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 02-21-2011 04:39 PM
As far as I can tell, Hopkins is indeed the first ASCAN to be given a flight assignment. (Of course, the ISS training flow is 2.5 years minimum, so it's hardly a case of rushing him into things...)In the summer of 1985, Sonny Carter was assigned to a 1986 Shuttle crew just as he completed ASCAN training. Mike McCulley wasn't too far behind. Those are Hopkins' only competitors for early assignment. And, yes, the current ASCAN class is training on ISS and Soyuz. They are about to be given their first technical assignments, and should all be certified as full-fledged astronauts by August of this year. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-21-2011 07:37 PM
Granted shuttle crews changed all the time, but what crews were Carter and McCulley assigned to? |
randyc
Member Posts: 779
From: Chandler, AZ USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 02-21-2011 07:53 PM
I've always agreed with John Young's definition of an astronaut... you're not an astronaut until you've been in space. |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 02-21-2011 07:55 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
Granted shuttle crews changed all the time, but what crews were Carter and McCulley assigned to?
Carter was going to be on 61-M with Williams as CDR, Smith as PLT and Bagian and Dunbar as the other MS.McCulley was named to 61-N, a DOD mission later flown as STS-28 with Shaw CDR, MS Adamson, Brown and Leestma, and Richards replacing McCulley. |
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