Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Terrence W. Wilcutt!

Terrence Wilcutt, born October 31, 1949 in Russellville, Kentucky, is a veteran of 4 space shuttle missions. (He shares his birthday with Michael Collins!) It seems four is the average number of flights for a space shuttle astronaut.  Does anybody know?  I'll have to check that out.

Anyway, Wilcutt's first flight was on Endeavour (STS-68) September 30-October 11, 1994 when he was pilot.

His second mission was on Atlantis (STS-79) in September 1996 also as pilot.  On this mission, they brought back Shannon Lucid from the space station Mir after her record breaking stay. 

He was commander on his third mission, which was on Endeavour (STS-89) in January 1998.  The crew flew to Mir again for another American astronaut exchange, the fifth of the program.

His fourth and final mission was back on Atlantis (STS-106) in September 2000.  He and the crew spent a week transferring equipment and supplies to the International Space Station, getting it ready for a permanent crew.

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Gemini 10 launched 1966

Pilot Michael Collins and Command Pilot John W. Young took off July 18, 1966 in Gemini 10 (officially Gemini X), the 8th Gemini flight and the16th manned American flight.  Collins performed two EVAs, one of which involved an attempt to engage the Agena module from the Gemini 8 mission but was unsuccessful.

They returned to Earth just less than 3 days after lift-off.

Apollo 11, first manned mission to land on the moon, launched 1969

Apollo 11 crew (L-R): Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

The first manned mission to land on the moon, Apollo 11, was launched July 6, 1969, with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.  The lunar lander Eagle touched down on the surface, July 20, when Armstrong broadcasted his famous line "The Eagle has landed!"  While he and Buzz Aldrin spent just under a day on the moon, Collins orbited alone in the Columbia, the lunar orbiter.

They returned to Earth July 24.

"The Eagle Has Landed" July 20, 1969

Apollo XI Crew: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

I remember watching this on television at a friend's house while the events unfolded.  While Michael Collins circled the moon in the lunar orbiter, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men ever to walk on the moon.  Neil stepped onto the surface about 11am ET (they hadn't established lunar time yet) proclaiming in a speech that was not plagiarized, "That is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."  Twenty minutes later, Aldrin joined him on the moon.  Their total EVA was about 2 1/2 hours taking samples of the lunar surface and conducting experiments.  After almost 22 hours on the moon, Aldrin and Armstrong took off to rendezvous with Collins.  They splashed down July 24.

Happy birthday, astronaut Michael Collins!

Astronaut Michael Collins, born October 31, 1930, piloted the Apollo 11 Command Module, orbiting the moon while Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong walked its surface. He is the first person to perform two EVA's.

I remember watching the moon landing and wanting to be an astronaut when I grew up.  Oh, well.