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Author
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Topic: Astronauts assigned to two missions
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Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-04-2017 06:06 PM
   
During the early era of the space shuttle program, several astronauts were assigned to two missions.For example, Bob Crippen was assigned to STS-7 and STS-41C, prior to the "7" mission. The same can be said for 41C and 41G. Steve Nagel was assigned to 51G and 61A before flying on 51G. And, John Fabian was assigned to 51G and 61G prior to his first flight. My question is, in the Gemini/Apollo era the only instance I saw of this practice was Charles Bassett being assigned to Gemini 9 and Apollo 4. Were there any other Gemini/Apollo astronauts given two prime crew assignments before completing the first? |
mrspacehead
Member Posts: 43
From:
Registered: Jun 2017
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posted 07-04-2017 09:11 PM
I think there was a point in early 1966 when Dave Scott was briefly assigned to both Gemini 8 and Apollo 3 or whatever the first flight of the LM was going to be. I know he was on the Apollo 1 backup crew at that time, and Deke had already assigned that crew to the first manned flight of the LM.
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Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 07-05-2017 01:16 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Tom:
Charles Bassett being assigned to Gemini 9 and Apollo 4.
There were many astronauts in the pre-Challenger era who were assigned to multiple crews. Fabian might actually have had three at one time.But no, Bassett was never "assigned" to Apollo 4 while assigned to Gemini IX. He was merely in Slayton's preliminary planning as a good candidate for a Borman Apollo crew, one that would require a rendezvous-experienced command module pilot. Same with Dave Scott on Gemini VIII and McDivitt's crew. As Slayton planned early Apollo crews in late 1965 he made assumptions — that Scott and Bassett would fly in Gemini and gain the appropriate experience to move on to Block II Apollo crews. But those crews weren't announced at the time, not even inside the astronaut office. Even Tom Stafford, assigned originally as backup commander to Gemini IX and told by Slayton that he would likely have Gemini XII, never felt that he had two firm assignments... just one and a good shot at a second. He knew that things could change, which they did. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-05-2017 03:22 PM
Thanks, Michael! |
onesmallstep
Member Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 07-05-2017 08:26 PM
Add Jerry Ross to the list of shuttle astronauts assigned to two flights, in this case STS-61B and -62A, the first that was planned to launch from Vandenberg AFB. |
Skylon
Member Posts: 274
From:
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 07-06-2017 08:48 AM
For the shuttle-era, were Norm Thagard and Bill Thornton formally assigned to STS 51-B when they were added to the STS-7 and 8 crews? The ISS EO 2 crew of Usachyov, Voss and Helms would also fit this bill of landing an earlier flight assignment (STS-101) when already were pointed at another mission. |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 07-06-2017 01:49 PM
I'm confident that Mr. Abbey had Thornton in mind for Spacelab-3 when he assigned him to STS-8 — the SL-3 announcement was in April 1983, just five months after the STS-7/8 additions.Thagard was also announced for SL-3 at the same time as Thornton, but I'm not as sure that he was ticketed for that originally, even though he was a doctor. He may very well have been in line for a non-medical assignment when Abbey decided, early December 1982, to augment two upcoming missions with a third MS who might also do research into SAS. Abbey was eager to get the 1978 astronauts flown as quickly as possible. He would not have wanted SL-3, then scheduled for late 1984, to be his first flight. But once Thagard was in the flow for STS-7, it was a natural second assignment. If that makes sense.  |
Skylon
Member Posts: 274
From:
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 07-07-2017 08:03 AM
Returning to the original question about Apollo missions — while it seems there were no instances of astronauts having two formal prime crew assignments, I got the impression that Jim Lovell was assigned/offered Apollo 13 by Deke Slayton, while still working backup for Apollo 11. Likely due to the tighter turn-around between assignments — and since Slayton's original picks were rejected — is that accurate? Presumably his LMP, Fred Haise may have known as well. |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 07-08-2017 10:49 AM
Astronaut Karol Bobko was assigned to mission STS-51D and STS-51J. After landing Discovery/51D the capcom told him that the Atlantis/51J crew was waiting for him in the shuttle simulator. Also, when I met with John Fabian he told me that he was assigned to two missions after the STS-7 flight. I also think Jon McBride may have been assigned to two missions as well following the STS-41G flight. He told me he was assigned to the Astro-1 and Astro-2 missions, if I remember correctly? |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 07-08-2017 11:04 AM
Mike Smith was also assigned to two missions as well. He was assigned to 51L and then a September 1986 flight as well. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 07-10-2017 08:20 PM
Mike Smith was assigned to 51L and 61I. I don't know if the announcement was made, but Bolden was assigned to 61C and 61J.For Astro-1, 2, and 3, the payload specialist pairups would have been Durrance and Parise on 1, and the Nordseick with one of them on 2, and Nordseick with the other on 3. Hoffman would have flown all three, as well as one other mission specialist, I think. Leestma was assigned to 61E and 61N. Then there were some astronauts - Griggs comes to mind - who were scheduled for two flights but lost one of them when the shuttle schedule got moved around. |
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