Happy birthday, astronaut Jeffrey Ashby!

Jeffrey Ashby, born June 16, 1954 in Dallas, Texas, has been into space three times.  He served in the navy, flying combat missions in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Continue Hope.

His first space flight was aboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93) as pilot in July 1999. He returned to Earth after almost 4 days in space.

His second mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-100) as pilot to the International Space Station in April-May 2001. He returned to Earth after almost 12 days.

His third and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-112) as commander to the International Space Station in October 2002.  He returned to Earth after almost 11 days in space.

Happy birthday. astronaut Donald Thomas!

Donald Alan Thomas, born May 6, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, has made four trips into space.  He got his BS in Physics from Case Western Reserve University in 1977, a MS and PhD in Materials Science, both from Cornell University.

NASA selected him as an astronaut in January 1990.  His first mission was aboard Columbia (STS-65) as mission specialist in July 1994, with birthday twin Chiaki Mukai. It was the mission that deployed the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) into space.  He spent almost 15 days in space.

His second flight was aboard Discovery (SGS-70) as mission specialist in July 1995.  It was the last of seven missions to carry a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into orbit.  He spent 9 days in space.

On his third mission, he flew on Columbia (STS-83) as mission specialist in April 1997.  The flight was cut short due to a technical problem in a fuel cell, and the crew landed after just 4 days.

His fourth and final spaceflight was aboard Columbia (STS-94) as mission specialist in July 1997.  It was the re-flight of STS-83 just three months before.  The mission was a success and he landed after almost 16 days in space.

Remembering astronaut Ken Mattingly (1936-2023)

Thomas "Ken" Mattingly, an American astronaut who went into space three times, passed away October 31. He was 87.  

Born in Chicago, Illinois, he moved with his family to Hialeah, Florida and soon, airplanes became an early fascination.  He graduated from Miami Edison High School in 1954 and received a BS degrees in aeronautical engineering from Auburn  University in 1958.  He then joined the navy and in 1966 he was selected as an astronaut.

He was scheduled to be the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 13 mission, but he was removed form the mission because he had been exposed to German measles (which he didn't catch) and was replaced by Jack Swigert.  Mattingly did play a large role in helping the crew get safely back to Earth.

He was placed onto the crew of Apollo 16, the fifth lunar landing mission with John Young and Charlie Duke.  Mattingly and Young were the only two Apollo astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle missions.  Mattingly carried out an EVA to retrieve film and data packages from the science bay on the side of the service module.

Mattingly served as commander of Columbia (STS-4) in June 1982, the fourth and final orbital test of Columbia.

He served as commander on Discovery (STS-51-C), a Department of Defense mission, in January 1985.

He retired from the Navy in 1986 as Rear admiral.  He passed away in Arlington, Virginia.

Happy birthday, astronaut Susan Helms!

Susan Jane Helms, born February 26, 1958 in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a veteran of five Space Shuttle flights.  She attained the rank of Lieutenant General in the US Air Force before retiring.

Her first mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-54) as mission specialist in January 1993. She spent almost 6 days in space, making 96 orbits of Earth.  

Her second mission was aboard Discovery (STS-64) as mission specialist in September 1994.  She spent almost 11 days in space and completed 176 orbits of Earth.

Her third mission was aboard Columbia (STS-78) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in June-July 1996. She spent almost 17 days in space and completed 271 orbits of Earth.

Her fourth trip was aboard Atlantis (STS-101) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in May 2000. The wake up call on Day 2, Free Fallin' by Tom Petty was dedicated to Helms. She spent almost 10 days in space and completed 155 orbits of Earth.

Her fifth and final mission started on Discovery (STS-102) as mission specialist to the International Space Station launched in March 2001.  She participated in Expedition 2 on the ISS, conducting an EVA on March 11.  She returned to Earth aboard Discovery (STS-105) in August 2001, having spent over 167 days in space.

Astronaut Dave Low born 1956

George David Low, born February 19, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio, went into space three times during his career as an astronaut.

His first mission was aboard Columbia (STS-32) as mission specialist in January 1990.  He spent almost 11 days in space, which at the time was the longest shuttle mission yet.

His second mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-43) as mission specialist in August 1991.  He spent almost 9 hours in space.

His third and final mission was on Endeavour (STS-57) as mission specialist in June 1993. He spent almost 10 days in space. 

He passed away in March 2008 from colon cancer.

Happy birthday, astronaut Robert "Hoot" Gibson!

Robert "Hoot" Gibson, born October 30, 1946 in Cooperstown, New York, is a veteran of five space shuttle missions.

His first mission was as pilot on Challenger (STS-41-B) in February 1984.  It was the first flight to involve an untethered spacewalk.  He spent almost 8 days in space and completed 128 orbits.

His second flight was aboard Columbia (STS-61-C) as commander in January 1986, the last shuttle mission before the Challenger disaster. He spent over 6 days in space and completed 98 orbits.

Gibson's third mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-27) as commander in December 1988.  It was a classified payload for the US Department of Defense. He spent over four days in space and completed 68 orbits.

His fourth flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-47) as commander in September 1992.  He carried the first Japanese astronaut, Mamoru Mohri, and the first African-American woman, Mae Jemison into space.  He spent almost 8 days in space and completed 126 orbits.

His fifth and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) in June-July 1995 to the Russian space station Mir.  It was the first space shuttle docking with Mir.  He spent almost 10 days in space and completed 153 orbits. 

He married fellow astronaut Rhea Seddon in May 1981.  He retired from NASA in November 1996 and became a pilot for Southwest Airlines.  

Happy birthday, astronaut Michael Baker!

Astronaut Michael Baker, born October 27, 1953 in Memphis, Tennessee, has been to space four times.  

His first trip was aboard Atlantis (STS-43) as pilot in August 1991.  He spent almost 9 days in space, making 142 orbits.

His second flight was aboard Columbia (STS-52) as pilot in October-November 1992.  He celebrated his 39th birthday during the mission.  He spent almost 10 days in space and made 159 orbits.

His third mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-68) as commander in September-October 1994. He spent over 11 days in space and made 182 orbits.

His fourth and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-81) as commander to the Mir space station in January 1997.  It was the second flight to Mir to involve an exchange of US astronauts. He spent over 10 days in space and made 160 orbits.

Happy birthday, NASA astronaut Robert Cenker!

Robert Cenker, born November 5, 1948 in Menallen Township, Pennsylvania, went into space aboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-61-C) as payload specialist in January 1986.  It was the last flight before the Challenger tragedy later that month.

He spent over 6 days in space.

Happy birthday, Canadian astronaut Dafydd Williams!

Dafydd Williams, born May 16, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, has been in space twice as an astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency.  He received a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery from McGill University in 1983.

His first trip into space was aboard Columbia (STS-90) as mission specialist in April-May 1998.  While in orbit, Williams and fellow astronauts James Pawelczyk and Jay Buckey appeared on the Canadian television series Popular Mechanics for Kids.

His second and final flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-118) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in August 2007. He performed three EVAs with fellow astronauts Richard Mastracchio and Clayton Anderson for almost 18 hours total.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Eugene Trinh, first Vietnamese-American astronaut

Eugene Trinh, born September 14, 1950 in Saigon, Vietnam, is the first Vietnamese-American to go into space.  He went aboard Columbia (STS-50) as a Payload Specialist in June-July 1992. 

He was Director of the Physical Sciences Research Division at NASA.  He received the Golden Torch Award from the Vietnamese American National Gala in Washington DC.  

Happy birthday, Japanese astronaut Chiaki Mukai, first Asian woman in space

Chiaki Mukai, born May 6, 1952 in Japan, is the first Japanese woman in space, the first Asian woman, and the first Japanese citizen go to into space twice.

Her first mission was aboard Columbia (STS-65) as payload specialist in July 1994.  She carried out experiments sponsored by NASDA, the precursor to the Japanese Space Exploration Agency.

Her second and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-95) as payload specialist in October-November 1998. It was the final flight for astronaut John Glenn as well.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Ellen Baker!

Ellen Baker, born April 27, 1953 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, has been in space three times.  

Her first mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-34) as mission specialist in October 1989.  The mission deployed the Galileo probe to Jupiter.

Her second mission was aboard Columbia (STS-50) as mission specialist in June-July 1992.  It was the first flight of the US Microgravity Laboratory 1.  

Her third and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) as mission specialist in June-July 1995.  It was the first Space Shuttle docking to the space station Mir.

She has spent more than 28 days in space.  

Space Shuttle astronaut William Lenoir born 1939

William Lenoir, born March 14, 1939 in Miami, Florida, went into space aboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-5), considered to be the first operational shuttle mission, as mission specialist in November 1982.  He was scheduled to perform an EVA with fellow astronaut  Joseph Allen, but he succumbed to motion sickness.  Then a malfunctioning oxygen regulator caused the spacewalk to be cancelled.

He spent 5 days in space.

Lenoir passed away in August 2010 from head injuries from a bicycle accident.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Bonnie Dunbar!

Bonnie Dunbar, born March 3, 1949 in Sunnyside, Washington, has flown on five space shuttle missions and been to Mir twice.

Her first flight as aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) as mission specialist in October-November 1985. The mission was funded and directed by West Germany.

Her second flight was aboard Columbia (STS-32) as mission specialist in January 1990.  

Her third flight was again aboard Columbia (STS-50) as mission specialist in June-July 1992.  Its primary objective was the US Microgravity Laboratory 1.

Her fourth flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) as mission specialist to the space station Mir in June-July 1995.  It was the first Space Shuttle docking to the Russian space station.

Her fifth and final flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-89) as mission specialist to Mir in January 1998.  The mission swapped crew members aboard Mir. 

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Guy Gardner!

Guy Gardner, born January 6, 1948 in Altavista, Virginia, is a veteran of two space flights.  He has been a test pilot and pilot instructor for the US Air Force and attained the rank of colonel.

His first trip was aboard Atlantis (STS-27) as pilot in December 1988.  It was a mission for the Department of Defense.

His second and final trip was aboard Columbia (STS-35) as pilot in December 1990.  The mission was dedicated to astronomical observations with ASTRO-1.  

Happy birthday, Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean!

Steve MacLean, born December 14, 1954 in Ottawa, Canada, is a veteran of two space shuttle flights. 

His first flight was aboard Columbia (STS-52) as payload specialist for the Canadian Space Agency in October-November 1992.  

His second and final flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-115) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in September 2006.  He was the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm2.  He was the second Canadian to perform a space walk.  Chris Hadfield was the first. 

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut James Wetherbee!

James Wetherbee, born November 27, 1952 in Flushing, New York, has been in space six times.

His first mission was aboard Columbia (STS-32) as pilot in January 1990.  It was the third night landing of the space shuttle program.

His second flight was aboard Columbia (STS-52) as commander in October-November 1992.  The mission involved projects with the Italian Space Agency and National Centre for Space Studies (France).   

His third flight was aboard Discovery (STS-63) as commander in February 1995.  It was the second mission of the Space Shuttle/Mir program.  It was the first rendezvous of NASA's shuttle and the Mir space station.

His fourth flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-86) as commander to Mir in September-October 1997. It was the seventh Mir docking mission.

His fifth flight was aboard Discovery (STS-102) as commander to the International Space Station in March 2001.  The flight rotated Expeditions 1 and 2 and resupplied the ISS.

His sixth and final flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-113) as commander to the ISS in November-December 2002.  The mission rotated Expeditions 5 and 6. 

He left NASA in 2005.

Columbia (STS-87) launched 1997

STS-87 crew

Front row (L-R): Kalpana Chawla, Steve Lindsey, Kevin Kregel, Leonid Kadeniuk

Back row (L-R): Winston Scott, Takao Doi

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87), launched November 19, 1997, was the first EVA conducted by a Japanese astronaut.  Its crew consisted of Commander Kevin Kregel, Pilot Steve Lindsey, Kalpana Chawla, Winston Scott, Takao Doi (JAXA), and Leonid Kadeniuk (first Ukrainian astronaut).  

Scott and Doi conducted two EVAs, which lasted almost 13 hours total.

They returned to Earth December 5.

Steven Nagel, Space Shuttle astronaut, born October 27, 1946

Steven Nagel, born October 27, 1946 in Columbia, Missouri, went into space four times.

His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-51-G) as mission specialist in June 1985.  It was Shannon Lucid's first flight as well.

His second flight was aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) as pilot in October-November 1985.  It was the last successful flight of Challenger and holds the record for the largest crew - eight - aboard any since spacecraft for the entire mission.

His third mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-37) as commander in April 1991.  The mission included two EVAs, the first since 1985. 

His fourth and final mission was aboard Columbia (STS-55) as commander in April-May 1993.  The mission hosted 88 experiments from 11 different nations.

He was married to fellow astronaut Linda Godwin.  

Nagel passed away in August 2014 from advanced melanoma.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Stephen Robinson!

Stephen Robinson, born October 26, 1955 in Sacramento, California, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights.

His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-85) as mission specialist in August 1997.  The mission lasted almost 12 days.

His second flight was again on Discovery (STS-95) as mission specialist in October-November 1998. One of his fellow astronaut was US Senator John Glenn, his second trip into space.

His third flight was aboard Discovery (STS-114) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in July-August 2005.  It was the "Return to Flight" space shuttle mission, the first following the Columbia disaster in 2003.

His fourth and final flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-130) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in February 2010.