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Author
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Topic: Wayne Koons, MR-3 recovery pilot (1934-2022)
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 48829
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-02-2022 09:57 AM
   
Wayne Koons, who in 1961 was the lead helicopter pilot for the recovery of the United States' first astronaut in space, died on May 29, 2022. He was 87. As a junior co-pilot with Marine Air Group 26 (Squadron HMR262), Koons was recruited by the Space Task Group to develop the means to recover both a spacecraft and its pilot from the ocean. That experience, including taking part in the recovery of Mercury-Redstone 2 with Ham the chimp aboard, led to Koons being assigned as lead pilot for the recovery of Alan Shepard on May 5, 1961. Soon after, Koons resigned from the Marine Corps and became the 87th member of the Space Task Group. Reporting to the Manned Spacecraft Center (later Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Koons became chief of the Landing and Recovery Division in the Recovery Systems Branch from 1967 to 1968. He later served as the manager of the Payloads and Operations Office and then the Manufacturing and Test Office in Space Shuttle Orbiter Project Office before retiring from NASA in 1983.  |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4481
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-02-2022 10:00 AM
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Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 1151
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 06-02-2022 10:03 AM
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David C
Member Posts: 1356
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 06-02-2022 10:28 AM
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SkyMan1958
Member Posts: 1221
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 06-02-2022 11:36 AM
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ManInSpace
Member Posts: 297
From: Brooklin, Ontario Canada
Registered: Feb 2018
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posted 06-02-2022 12:43 PM
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MartinAir
Member Posts: 206
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 06-02-2022 01:23 PM
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gareth89
Member Posts: 501
From: Ireland
Registered: May 2014
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posted 06-02-2022 01:33 PM
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mode1charlie
Member Posts: 1349
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 06-02-2022 01:43 PM
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Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 1419
From: Chesham, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 06-02-2022 02:26 PM
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ea757grrl
Member Posts: 780
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 06-02-2022 03:03 PM
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rjb1elec
Member Posts: 324
From: Merseyside, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 06-02-2022 03:31 PM
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Kite
Member Posts: 1040
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 06-02-2022 04:42 PM
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hlbjr
Member Posts: 539
From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 06-02-2022 05:32 PM
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ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2134
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 06-02-2022 06:10 PM
A genuinely nice guy, who was very helpful to me when I was researching my "Freedom 7" book a few years back. An important part of America's spaceflight history and it was sad to hear of his passing. |
SpaceCadet1983
Member Posts: 400
From: Pacific NW, United States
Registered: May 2012
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posted 06-02-2022 06:22 PM
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capoetc
Member Posts: 2308
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 06-02-2022 06:39 PM
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GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2860
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 06-02-2022 07:07 PM
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Jeff
Member Posts: 575
From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009
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posted 06-02-2022 07:31 PM
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dss65
Member Posts: 1302
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 06-02-2022 07:39 PM
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ejectr
Member Posts: 1925
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-02-2022 08:36 PM
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star51L
Member Posts: 479
From: Vilano Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 06-04-2022 09:25 AM
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JohnPaul56
Member Posts: 260
From: Montclair, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2010
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posted 06-04-2022 10:00 AM
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ejectr
Member Posts: 1925
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-04-2022 11:33 AM
Must have been darn good. Picture shows one bar on his collar, which means he was a 1st Lieutenant. Semper Fi... |
David Carey
Member Posts: 952
From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 06-04-2022 02:50 PM
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Gilbert
Member Posts: 1455
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 06-07-2022 02:58 PM
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