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Author
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Topic: Susan Still-Kilrain's flight assignments
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astro-nut
Member Posts: 970
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 08-24-2006 10:38 AM
   
Why did Susan Still-Kilrain leave the Astronaut Office and not get a command of a shuttle mission. Since she flew as pilot on STS-83 and STS-94 (the reflight of the Microgravity Science Laboratory), did the Astronaut Office consider her with two flight too soon? If STS-83 was a successful 16 day flight, then she would have likely piloted another shuttle mission and then be assigned as commander. At one time I read that she was scheduled to command an all female crew shuttle flight with Pam Melroy as her pilot. The flight was listed as STS-107. |
dcfowler1
Member Posts: 81
From: Eugene, OR
Registered: May 2006
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posted 08-24-2006 01:15 PM
Her husband, also with the Navy, as I recall, got reassigned to Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico, and I believe (memory is a little murky), that she subsequently left the Navy, and moved there with him. |
ea757grrl
Member Posts: 730
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 08-24-2006 03:18 PM
That's similar to what I understood. I seem to recall reading she said something about how training for a space mission ate up a tremendous amount of time and involvement, especially when compared to what the Navy had required of her. I never have completely understood why she didn't get the two-mission credit for STS-83 and STS-94, but from what I could piece together, it was because it was a reflight of the same mission. (Can anyone else shed some light on this?) |
Tom
Member Posts: 1605
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 08-24-2006 04:39 PM
I don't understand what you mean by "two-mission credit." |
ea757grrl
Member Posts: 730
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 08-24-2006 06:05 PM
My bad; I apologize. It's a term I came across somewhere that was stuck in my head when I wrote that post. What it refers to is that the average Shuttle pilot flies two missions in the right seat before being considered for command of a mission. This isn't set in cement; some have flown three missions in the right seat before getting their first command, while some others (i.e., STS-107's Rick Husband) got their first command after flying only one mission as pilot. There are also some pilots who, for whatever reason, never got a command even after flying two missions. It's my understanding that NASA considered STS-94 a "reflight" of STS-83, and Still-Kilrain got credit for one mission; some folks thought she should have gotten credit for two. (I can see both sides of the argument.) The "proper" amount of experience as a Shuttle pilot is only one of the considerations in the selection of commanders, but it's one of the more publicly noticeable ones. |
dcfowler1
Member Posts: 81
From: Eugene, OR
Registered: May 2006
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posted 08-24-2006 11:43 PM
The policy in place at the time, was not for "two missions" but for two "mission profiles." STS-94 was a repeat of STS-83, hence she only flew one mission profile. |
ea757grrl
Member Posts: 730
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 08-25-2006 10:30 AM
I figured something like that was the reason why. Thanks for the information! |
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