Joe Acaba, chief of the Astronaut Office

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Author	Topic: Joe Acaba, chief of the Astronaut Office
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 49913 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 02-02-2023 09:15 AM collectSPACE With moon crews to assign, NASA names Joe Acaba new chief astronaut As NASA nears selecting its first crew to fly to the moon in more than 50 years, the space agency has a new leader for its astronaut corps. Joe Acaba, a former educator who has flown three times to space including two long-duration stays on board the International Space Station, has been named the new chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. He succeeds Reid Wiseman, who held the position for two years, and Drew Feustel, who served as acting chief since Wisemen stepped down on Nov. 14 to return to active flight duty.
sfurtaw Member Posts: 108 From: Saginaw, MI USA Registered: Feb 2004	posted 02-02-2023 10:32 AM Does this mean Drew Feustel is also eligible for flight assignments?
OV-105 Member Posts: 897 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000	posted 02-05-2023 03:03 PM Is it me or are we not seeing the chief of the astronauts changing more often than the past? Seems like they are only staying in the position for a year or two. Have they changed the position since the shuttle and earlier days?
Tom Member Posts: 1686 From: New York Registered: Nov 2000	posted 02-05-2023 05:08 PM In my opinion, they need to fill that position with astronauts that are no longer interested in future (space)flights.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 49913 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 02-05-2023 05:27 PM Let's look at the past chiefs: Deke Slayton (1962-1963), 1 year Alan Shepard (1963-1969), 6 years Thomas Stafford (1969-1971), 3 years Alan Shepard (1971-1974), 3 years John Young (1974-1987), 13 years Dan Brandenstein (1987-1992), 5 years Robert "Hoot" Gibson (1992-1994), 2 years Robert Cabana (1994-1997), 3 years Kenneth Cockrell (1997-1998), 1 year Charles Precourt (1998-2002), 4 years Kent Rominger (2002-2006), 4 years Steven Lindsey (2006-2009), 3 years Peggy Whitson (2009-2012), 3 years Robert Behnken (2012-2015), 3 years Christopher Cassidy (2015-2017), 2 years Patrick Forrester (2017-2020), 3 years Reid Wiseman (2020-2022), 2 years Excluding Shepard and Young, who are outliers, the average time in office was 2 to 3 years and almost all of them flew again after leaving the position.
328KF Member Posts: 1383 From: Registered: Apr 2008	posted 02-05-2023 07:18 PM It’s been noted that many of the Chief Astronauts step down from the job just before they are named to a crew of a highly desirable mission. It’s speculated that Wiseman will likely be on the Artemis II crew, having named himself with the authority he has as the boss. Of course, there are other considerations for crew positions these day, some justified, some not, but for the few seats that are open without prerequisites, being the Chief puts one in a unique position to get it. John Young once replied to a reporter’s question flat out admitting, “I picked me.” The job of Chief Astronaut is not necessarily one that any of the corps relish, and none of the others envy them for having. But rather than sit in the office contemplating the mystery of when you might fly again, it seems advantageous to get yourself behind the curtain and take some active control over the process and forge your own path.
brianjbradley Member Posts: 151 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Dec 2010	posted 02-05-2023 08:16 PM I read somewhere, maybe Mike Mullane's book, that Dan Brandenstein didn't earn many fans assigning himself to not one but two of the "more desirable" missions. I think Hoot Gibson played it well when he was told he would command STS-71. He said he accepted it on the condition the Flight Crew Operations director would announce the crew and that he picked Gibson for the flight. I think he wasn't even in the room when the announcement was made (but I could be wrong about that).
Skylon Member Posts: 319 From: Registered: Sep 2010	posted 02-06-2023 07:24 AM "Dragonfly" is the source I remember for the ill-will towards Brandenstein for giving himself STS-32 (LDEF retrieval) and STS-49 (first flight of Endeavour) and how it informed Gibson's desire on the delicate framing of the STS-71 crew announcement. Gibson and STS-71 is interesting because he didn't even put himself in the running. He nominated Steve Nagel to command the flight, only to have that name rejected and told "they want you to command STS-71." I'm not sure there was ever another case where the Chief Astronaut was given a mission under those circumstances.
OV-105 Member Posts: 897 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000	posted 02-08-2023 01:04 AM I can understand Brandenstien wanting the STS-32 flight. That was basically the STS 51-D flight he had trained for in 1985 then the flight got combined with STS 51-E and his crew got bumped to STS 51-G. Now getting STS-49 I can see that as a perk. But by that time they were also down two CDR’s who were suspended, Walker and Gibson.

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