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Author
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Topic: Frank Casserino, MSE candidate (1955-2021)
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 45577
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-18-2021 05:07 PM
   
Frank J. Casserino, Jr., who was selected with the first group of payload specialists for the U.S. Air Force's Manned Spaceflight Engineer (MSE) Program in 1979, died on Jan. 4, 2021, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was 65. Frank was a member of the Astronaut Program and was selected as the prime Payload Specialist for the space shuttle flight in September 1986. In 1993, he led the creation of a Reserve Space Program, standing up the 7th Space Operations Squadron. In subsequent years, he created a Reserve space group, the 310th Space Group, and ultimately the 310th Space Wing. He is known throughout the United States Space Force as the "Father of the Reserve Space Program." He retired from the United States Air Force on December 1, 2011. In his civilian career, Frank worked for the Aerospace Corporation as a space engineer and consultant for Air Force Space Command. |
Starfighter1
Member Posts: 113
From:
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 01-18-2021 06:28 PM
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Jeff
Member Posts: 527
From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009
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posted 01-18-2021 06:37 PM
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328KF
Member Posts: 1302
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 01-18-2021 06:39 PM
What terrible news. I was fortunate to be able to interview Gen Casserino a few years ago. He was a true gentleman, and a wealth of information about the MSE program. He really helped bring to light just how important these largely unknown engineers were to the space shuttle program in its early formative years. Of course, after the 51L tragedy, the DoD backed out of the shuttle program. The payload he was training to fly with, which is still classified, was one of the few that could only fly on the shuttle, and it was eventually launched on STS-28. The crew thought so highly of Gen Casserino that they took a photo of him aboard the flight, and took a “crew portrait” on orbit with his image in the background. They later presented the flown photo to him along with the new crew picture. Godspeed. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1624
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 01-18-2021 06:46 PM
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Grounded!
Member Posts: 430
From: Bennington, Vermont, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 01-18-2021 06:54 PM
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randy
Member Posts: 2390
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 01-18-2021 08:03 PM
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SpaceCadet1983
Member Posts: 312
From: Pacific NW, United States
Registered: May 2012
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posted 01-18-2021 08:56 PM
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dom
Member Posts: 908
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 01-18-2021 09:59 PM
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SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4767
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-18-2021 10:09 PM
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SPACEFACTS
Member Posts: 338
From: Germany
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted 01-19-2021 12:39 AM
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Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 1271
From: Chesham, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 01-19-2021 01:36 AM
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Kite
Member Posts: 927
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 01-19-2021 04:41 AM
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East-Frisian
Member Posts: 606
From: Germany
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 01-19-2021 04:50 AM
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GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2659
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 01-19-2021 05:01 AM
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LM1
Member Posts: 784
From: New York, NY
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 01-19-2021 06:42 AM
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MCroft04
Member Posts: 1708
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 01-19-2021 07:38 AM
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MSS
Member Posts: 769
From: Europe
Registered: May 2003
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posted 01-19-2021 08:06 AM
RIP Frank James. |
Gilbert
Member Posts: 1382
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 01-19-2021 10:27 AM
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Panther494
Member Posts: 485
From: London UK
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 01-19-2021 01:03 PM
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David Carey
Member Posts: 866
From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 01-19-2021 04:28 PM
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star51L
Member Posts: 411
From: Vilano Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 01-19-2021 04:47 PM
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ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2079
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 01-19-2021 05:41 PM
General Casserino's revealing interview on the MSE program features in the book, "Come Fly With Us" by Mel Croft and John Youskauskas. |
dss65
Member Posts: 1228
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 01-19-2021 07:52 PM
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ManInSpace
Member Posts: 208
From: Brooklin, ON Canada
Registered: Feb 2018
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posted 01-19-2021 08:24 PM
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Lewis007
Member Posts: 118
From: Geldermalsen, the Netherlands
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 01-23-2021 10:51 PM
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eurospace
Member Posts: 2641
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 01-24-2021 05:19 AM
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Greggy_D
Member Posts: 992
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 01-24-2021 11:35 AM
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rjb1elec
Member Posts: 265
From: Merseyside, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 01-25-2021 09:36 AM
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alcyone
Member Posts: 159
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 01-31-2021 09:32 PM
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eurospace
Member Posts: 2641
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 02-04-2021 07:37 PM
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eurospace
Member Posts: 2641
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 02-04-2021 07:37 PM
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East-Frisian
Member Posts: 606
From: Germany
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 02-05-2021 03:15 AM
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capoetc
Member Posts: 2237
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 02-05-2021 06:43 AM
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rjb1elec
Member Posts: 265
From: Merseyside, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 02-06-2021 04:35 PM
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RichieB16
Member Posts: 614
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 02-11-2021 08:55 AM
I just saw this yesterday and I was sad to hear the news. Although I had never met him, I had written to him on several occasions and he was very generous to answer my questions about his career and the MSE program. I kept all the letters that he sent me.One thing he told me, which made me laugh, was after he lost his seat on STS-61-N and the mission was re-manifested as STS-28 with nearly the same crew...he still flew in spirit. A photo of him managed to find its way onboard Columbia for the mission. |
RichieB16
Member Posts: 614
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 02-11-2021 08:56 AM
quote:
Originally posted by RichieB16:
I just saw this yesterday and I was sad to hear the news. Although I had never met him, I had written to him on several occasions and he was very generous to answer my questions about his career and the MSE program. I kept all the letters that he sent me. He was also kind enough to help me complete my crew signed 61-N cover.One thing he told me, which made me laugh, was after he lost his seat on STS-61-N and the mission was re-manifested as STS-28 with nearly the same crew...he still flew in spirit. A photo of him managed to find its way onboard Columbia for the mission.
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