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Author
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Topic: Photo of the week 148 (September 1)
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heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 08-31-2007 03:14 PM
   
 Dave Griggs waves from the cargo bay of shuttle Discovery during the emergency EVA on flight STS-51D in April 1985. Griggs and Jeff Hoffman successfully attached two special fly-swatter-like tools to the end of the remote manipulator system, designed in an effort to revive the troubled Syncom satellite deployed on day 2 of the mission. Unfortunately the attempt failed and the Syncom was later repaired on mission STS-51I. Griggs died in a crash of a World War II era training plane in June 1989. Ed Hengeveld |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 09-04-2007 09:01 PM
The sad bit about Griggs was he joined the astronaut ranks as a pilot astronaut, yet he got assigned to 51D as a mission specialist instead. That one produced some odd looks among the astronaut corps. His second flight was going to be as a pilot on STS-33, but the plane crash took his life before that happened. Another sad irony is that one of the mission specialists on STS-33 was Sonny Carter, who died in a commercial plane crash prior to what would have been his second mission. The NBL at JSC is named in Sonny's honor. All this being said though, not too many pilot astronauts ever got a chance to spacewalk, with it being an unplanned spacewalk at that. So Dave got a rare treat on his only flight into space. Judging by this picture, he looked like he was loving every minute of it. |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 09-07-2007 09:35 PM
Steve Nagle was the only other PLT to fly his first flight as an MS on STS 51-G. It almost happened to Ken Bowersox also. |
lewarren
Member Posts: 269
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 09-07-2007 09:41 PM
Ken Cockrell flew as an MS before PLT.
Ron Garan will, too. |
LadyCosmos
New Member Posts:
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posted 09-08-2007 05:25 PM
And Charlie Precourt during STS-55 ...LadyCosmos |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 09-08-2007 06:30 PM
I for got about the others after Challenger. One other thing about Dave Griggs was he was going to be the PLT on STS 51-F but with all the delays of his first flight he got bumped from that seat. But then they let Steve Nagle do it and they had also let Bob Crippen fly twice in the same year, I think they couldn't get him out of Challenger in April of 1984. More of the crew selections that make everyone scratch their head. |
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