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Author
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Topic: NASA Astronaut Class (or Group) nicknames
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Tom
Member Posts: 1782
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-29-2006 08:18 AM
   
I believe all, if not, most astronaut classes selected during the shuttle era had nicknames associated with them.One in fact (chosen during Apollo in 1967) were called the "Excess Eleven". I know the Class of 1996 were called the "Sardines". Anyone know what the other groups were called? |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1865
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 07-29-2006 09:14 AM
The class of 1978 called themselves the TFNG. The official translation of TFNG was "Thirty Five New Guys". The colloquial translation was much more colorful... |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 55067
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-29-2006 09:34 AM
- Class 08: TFNG
- Class 09: 19+80
- Class 10: The Maggots
- Class 11: ?
- Class 12: The Gaffers
- Class 13: The Hairballs
- Class 14: The Hogs
- Class 15: The Flying Escargot
- Class 16: The Sardines
- Class 17: The Penguins
- Class 18: The Bugs
- Class 19: The Peacocks
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Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3473
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 07-29-2006 03:47 PM
Garrett Reisman of Group 17 said that Dodos was kicked around for a nickname because a dodo is a flightless bird and it would be a while before any of them flew. It was changed to Penguins, another flightless bird, the difference being that dodos are extinct... |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 3104
From: Titusville, FL
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 07-29-2006 07:59 PM
As you may know the previous class bestows the nickname on the new class. Class of 1996 (the Sardines - because they were the largest class since TFNG's) named the class of 1998 "the Dodos". Well the class of 98 got some revenge by changing their nickname to the Penguins. The difference, both are flightless birds but penguins eat fish.
I checked my scrapbook and the 11th class, (1985) didn't have a nickname listed. That was the class who lost Stephen Thorne in a plane accident. Maybe that's why. |
Go4Launch
Member Posts: 563
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 11-24-2007 02:52 PM
Could someone please tell me what was the month in 1995 that Group 15 was named, and what the year and month were that Group 19 was named? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 55067
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-24-2007 03:02 PM
Per Spacefacts.de, the shuttle classes were named on: - Group 8: January 16, 1978
- Group 9: May 29, 1980
- Group 10: May 23, 1984
- Group 11: June 4, 1985
- Group 12: June 5, 1987
- Group 13: January 17, 1990
- Group 14: March 31, 1992
- Group 15: December 8, 1994
- Group 16: May 1, 1996
- Group 17: June 5, 1998
- Group 18: July 26, 2000
- Group 19: May 6, 2004
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Tom
Member Posts: 1782
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-25-2007 08:49 PM
Just thought I'd add the year of the first flight from each group... - Group 8: January 16, 1978 ...1983
- Group 9: May 29, 1980 ...1984
- Group 10: May 23, 1984 ...1988
- Group 11: June 4, 1985 ...1990
- Group 12: June 5, 1987 ...1990
- Group 13: January 17, 1990 ...1992
- Group 14: March 31, 1992 ...1994
- Group 15: December 8, 1994 ...1997
- Group 16: May 1, 1996 ...1998
- Group 17: June 5, 1998 ...2006
- Group 18: July 26, 2000 ...2007
- Group 19: May 6, 2004 ...(scheduled 2008)
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Flying Dutchman
Member Posts: 161
From: Heemstede
Registered: Jan 2007
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posted 12-16-2007 10:31 AM
Has anyone a complete list with all astronaut groups? Number 1 till 19 and with the dates? And does anyone has a list of people that became a candidate and later on where not selected or backed off for some kind of reason? |
heng44
Member Posts: 3812
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 12-16-2007 10:32 AM
Most of this information can be found at SpaceFacts. |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 3104
From: Titusville, FL
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 03-20-2009 08:21 AM
We all know the names of the following selection groups:1. The Original Seven
2. The New Nine
3. The "Original 14"
6. "The XS 11" But what about these groups? 4. Scientist Astronauts
5. 19 Pilots
7. The seven MOL pilots Were they known by any nickname or call themselves something special? |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 03-20-2009 11:22 AM
I don't recall "The Original 14" ever being used. I believe it was the fifth group, "The Original 19" who used that name as a joke. |
webhamster
Member Posts: 107
From: Ottawa, Canada
Registered: Jul 2008
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posted 03-22-2009 08:33 PM
quote:
Originally posted by KSCartist:
But what about these groups?
I don't know if it's "official" but I've seen Group 3 referred to as "The Fourteen" and Group 4 as "The Scientists".In fact that's the nomenclature that the Wikipedia list uses. |
Tykeanaut
Member Posts: 2292
From: West Yorkshire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 11-27-2013 01:09 PM
Did the class of '85 have a nickname? It's the only one I'm not aware of if they did?Editor's note: Threads merged. |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 1073
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 12-01-2013 10:41 AM
The Astronaut Class of 1985 did not have a name. I have met some of the astronauts from that group/class and asked that question and none of them ever recall of a class name for their group/class. |
brianjbradley
Member Posts: 188
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2010
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posted 06-30-2014 02:04 PM
Dottie Metcalf Lindenburger's retirement got me thinking about her ASCAN Class Name - The Peacocks. Does anyone know the origin of the name? I know it would have been chosen by someone from the Bugs 2000 class as per tradition to have the previous class give you your nickname. What is the significance of a peacock? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 55067
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-30-2014 04:35 PM
Here's the way I've heard it...When they were chosen, the 2004 astronaut candidates were told that they would not be flying on the space shuttle, but rather eventually preparing for whatever was to come next. As such, they weren't expected to fly for some time to come, and so they were there (at least initially) more for show. Hence, they were nicknamed "The Peacocks," a bird known more for putting on a colorful show on the ground than for flying... |
Philip
Member Posts: 6334
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 08-12-2025 06:52 AM
So definitively no nickname for NASA group 11 (13 astronauts selected June 1985)? |
Dave Shayler
Member Posts: 183
From: Halesowen, West Mids, UK
Registered: Dec 2009
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posted 08-15-2025 12:13 PM
While researching Skylab and NASA Scientist Astronauts, I learnt that Group 4 was known within the group as the Scientific Six. Then, after Graveline departed, they became known as the Incredible Five. The story behind that designation can be found in my (2001) Skylab book on pages 107-108. |
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