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Author
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Topic: Who was the first civilian in space?
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Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 03-06-2002 11:25 AM
   
Who was in your opinion the first civilian in space? |
Ben
Member Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000
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posted 03-06-2002 04:26 PM
I think the first person who was simply not an astronaut/cosmonaut by profession was Charlie Walker, the first shuttle payload specialist. The first who was not involved in the space program at all would be Japanese reporter Toyohiro Akiyama, and Dennis Tito, the first solely for pleasure and self-paid. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1746
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 03-06-2002 04:40 PM
The first space shuttle payload specialist wasn't Charlie Walker, whose first mission was STS-41D in '84, but Byron Lichtenberg and Ulf Merbold on STS-9 in '83. They were the first non-NASA astronauts to fly on a U.S. manned spaceflight. They were both civilians, but non-military astronauts flew years ahead of them on NASA Gemini and Apollo missions, such as Armstrong and Haise. |
tncmaxq
Member Posts: 287
From: New Haven, CT USA
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted 03-07-2002 09:32 AM
Define "civilian!" This has been a favorite topic of mine. Some refer to Christa McAuliffe as the "first civilian astronaut." Others called Tito that. I think the term is misleading. Whenever someone in the media says that, I think it sounds as if all the other astronauts are members of the armed forces. Some people still think NASA and the space program are a military outfit, and we should try to correct this misconception. If I'm not mistaken, the first American astronaut who was not an active member of the armed forces at the time of his flight was Neil Armstrong on Gemini 8. If you are looking for the first person to fly in space who was not from the astronaut corps, then I think the previous mention of Ulf Merbold was correct. Was he not the first payload specialist? |
tncmaxq
Member Posts: 287
From: New Haven, CT USA
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted 03-07-2002 09:38 AM
Sorry, I forgot Lichtenberg too, on STS-9. I met him at ISDC a few years ago, by the way. Great guy. |
Matt T
Member Posts: 1368
From: Chester, Cheshire, UK
Registered: May 2001
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posted 03-07-2002 10:22 AM
Very vague answer I'm afraid, but would it be the Russian engineer who objected to one of the early Vostok/Vokshod flights on safety grounds and was then offered/forced into a seat on the flight to get him to drop his objections?Sorry for the incredibly vague details, someone else was discussing this either here or on one of the astronaut groups. If they're reading this - help me out with the details, please! |
WAWalsh
Member Posts: 809
From: Cortlandt Manor, NY
Registered: May 2000
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posted 03-07-2002 12:55 PM
I suspect the actual answer is Valentina Tershkova. If memory serves, she did not enter the military until after her flight. |
lewarren
Member Posts: 269
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 03-07-2002 02:05 PM
Valentina Tereshkova |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-07-2002 07:55 PM
As I see it — and for those who know me know that I might be a bit biased — I only see four real classifications: - the first non-military astronaut to fly: Tereshkova
- the first non-career astronaut: Lichtenberg/Merbold
- the first non-career astronaut to have his/her flight privately funded: Walker
- the first non-career astronaut to fund his/her own flight: Tito
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Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 03-08-2002 02:06 PM
That's right Robert. Maybe adding Neil Armstrong as first civilian on U.S. side to make that complete? |
Robonaut
Member Posts: 259
From: Solihull, West Mids, England
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-08-2002 05:51 PM
The first civilian in space was Konstantin Feoktistov in October 1964. He had served in a Partisan unit in WW2 and was shot by the Germans and left for dead but I do not think he was ever in mainstream Soviet military. He was definitely a civilian at the time of his spaceflight.On selection Tereshkova and her comrades were enlisted into the Soviet Air Force and she eventually made the rank of major-general. At the time of her launch in 1963 she was a junior-lieutenant. Neil Armstrong was the first U.S. civilian astronaut in 1966 but of course had been in the U.S. Navy. It was about time I joined in the discussions. I have been visiting this site for over a year. What a great site. |
Leon Ford
Member Posts: 309
From: Shreveport, LA, United States
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-08-2002 06:04 PM
I have always felt that if someone had a true duty to perform or a mission to accomplish, that they were a part of the program and I consider them an astronaut. For me, the first civilians were Jake Garn and Bill Nelson. They simply went along for the ride and had nothing to do, of any worth, during their shuttle flights. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-08-2002 08:13 PM
By that definition Leon, you could say that Yuri Gagarin and/or Alan Shepard were the first civilians, as they had little to do than sit back and enjoy the ride (placing tongue firmly in cheek). |
Leon Ford
Member Posts: 309
From: Shreveport, LA, United States
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-08-2002 08:47 PM
No, not at all Robert. I would hope that you could tell the difference between Garn/Nelson and Gagarin/Shepard. Gagarin and Shepard had a mission to do and did it. They were test pilots. Garn and Nelson took a ride somewhere at the taxpayers expense. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-08-2002 08:56 PM
Leon, as I said: "tongue firmly placed in cheek" -- I was being sarcastic.In all due honesty, I had absolutely no objection to flying Garn and Nelson. Garn had more flying experience than any of the career astronauts aboard his mission and both returned home to become strong supporters of the space program on Capitol Hill (and anyone who thinks that space exploration is not currently a polticial activity is fooling him/herself). Nelson, in particular, has proven his knowledge and understanding of the Shuttle's systems and the importance of keeping safety issues foremost at several recent hearings in the Senate. |
Mike
Member Posts: 178
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 03-08-2002 09:07 PM
I thought we were talking "civilians?" How did Gagarin and Shepard get thrown into that lot? |
Matt T
Member Posts: 1368
From: Chester, Cheshire, UK
Registered: May 2001
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posted 03-09-2002 05:17 AM
Thanks Rob, Konstantin Feoktistov was the guy I was referring to in my earlier highly vague posting. |
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