|
Author
|
Topic: Pilot astronauts as shuttle mission specialists
|
RichieB16
Member Posts: 552
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
|
posted 03-28-2015 08:15 PM
   
I have seen a couple instances during the space shuttle program of pilot astronauts serving as mission specialists, rather than occupying the pilot or commander positions. Was there a reason for this or did they simply need to fill a seat and only a pilot was available?Examples include S. David Griggs on STS-51-D, Kenneth Cockrell on STS-56 and Charles Precourt on STS-55. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 03-28-2015 09:00 PM
The late Steve Nagel, who was selected as a pilot but first flew as a mission specialist, explained it this way: "I really wanted to fly as a pilot, so at the time — because there was no explanation that went with it — I wondered, 'Are they telling me I'm not good enough to fly as a pilot?'" "Nothing against mission specialists. I would trade my pilot's slot to go be a mission specialist and do a [spacewalk], certainly, but it's just that 'What are they trying to tell me here?'" "But I think what it really was, our class was very large, and they're getting down to the point where I think [they] probably wanted to get us all flown, and this was a way to do it a little quicker." In addition to Nagel, Griggs and Cockrell as already mentioned, William Readdy, Charles Precourt, Don McMonagle and Ron Garan flew as mission specialists (at least at first), even though they were selected as pilots. (There were also astronauts who went the other direction. John Blaha, Frank Culbertson and Ken Bowersox flew as pilot or commander first, and then mission specialist on their way to Mir or International Space Station.) |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
|
posted 03-29-2015 12:00 AM
When Bowersox was first assigned to STS-50 he was assigned as a MS. John Casper was the original PLT on the flight then got moved up to CDR on STS-54. Ellen Baker then got Sox MS seat when he moved to the right seat. |
issman1
Member Posts: 1042
From: UK
Registered: Apr 2005
|
posted 03-29-2015 03:20 AM
Wasn't Randy Bresnik also selected as PLT in the 2004 astronaut class, but flew as MS on STS-129 in 2009 and made two spacewalks. |
Robonaut
Member Posts: 259
From: Solihull, West Mids, England
Registered: Mar 2002
|
posted 03-29-2015 04:55 AM
I can confirm that Bresnik was named by NASA as a pilot candidate on a press release dated 6 May 2004. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
|
posted 03-29-2015 04:34 PM
Also, Don Peterson (Group 7) who flew as MS on his only flight, STS-6.
As well as Bruce McCandless (41B) and Don Lind (51B) both chosen as pilots in 5th group. |
sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
|
posted 03-29-2015 05:17 PM
I always thought it was interesting that Robert Curbeam went the MS route even though he graduated from the Navy Test Pilot School at Pax River. I once saw him climb out of a NASA T-38 at Ellington after a solo flight, so he kept up his piloting chops. |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
|
posted 04-08-2015 09:42 PM
quote:
Originally posted by RichieB16:
Was there a reason for this or did they simply need to fill a seat and only a pilot was available?
I've talked to Nagel and others about this, and it was just numbers: when basic Shuttle crews increased from four to five around the end of 1982, MS astronauts were flying more frequently and earlier. JSC management (Griffin, Abbey) thought it made sense to fly pilots in the MS2 spot so they wouldn't be waiting for first flights while classmates were at their second and training for a third.The same rationale applied to cases in the early 1990s, like Precourt, Bowersox, Readdy. It should also be noted that flying pilot astronauts as MS2s was actually the plan in early Shuttle crew planning, circa 1976. |
advertisement