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, 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.

Space Shuttle astronaut Charles Veach born 1944

Charles Veach, born September 18, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, is a veteran of two space shuttle flights. 

His first trip into space was aboard Discovery (STS-39) as mission specialist in April-May 1991.  It was also the first unclassified Department of Defense payload.

His second mission was aboard Columbia (STS-52) as mission specialist in October-November 1992. Some of Gene Roddenberry's ashes were carried aboard Columbia for the mission.

Veach passed away from cancer in October 1995.

Columbia (STS-52) launched 1992

Front Row (L-R): Charles Veach, Tamara Jernigan, William Shepherd

Back Row (L-R): Michael Baker, James Wetherbee, Steven Maclean

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-52) blasted off October 22, 1992.  Its crew consisted of Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot Michael Baker, Charles Veach, William Shepherd, Tamara Jernigan and Steven MacLean (CSA).

The crew carried out experiments and projects that were joint ventures with the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, Italian Space Agency and France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales. 

Also, some of Gene Roddenberry's ashes flew on this trip.  Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, died the previous October.

Columbia returned to Earth November 1.

Happy birthday, Expedition 1 commander William Shepherd!

William Shepherd, born July 26, 1949 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is a veteran of three shuttle missions and was a member of the first crew aboard the International Space Station.  He was selected as an astronaut for NASA in 1984. 

His first mission into space was aboard Atlantis (STS-27) as mission specialist in December 1988.  Atlantis carried payloads for the Department of Defense so many of the details of the trip are classified.

Shepherd's second flight was aboard Discovery (STS-41) in October 1990.  This mission deployed the Ulysses probe to investigate polar regions of the Sun.

His third flight was aboard Columbia (STS-52) October-November 1992, which deployed the Laser Geodynamic Satellite.

In 1993, he was assigned to become the commander of Expedition 1 to the ISS aboard Soyuz TM-31 in October 2000.  With cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, he stayed on board until March 2001.  They returned to Earth aboard Discovery (STS-102).

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Tammy Jernigan!

Tamara Elizabeth Jernigan, born May 7, 1959 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a veteran of 5 space shuttle flights.

Her first flight was on board Columbia (STS-40) in June 1991 as mission specialist.  It was the first flight to have 3 female astronauts.

Her second mission was also on Columbia (STS-52) in October-November 1992.  On this mission, ashes of Gene Roddenberry were carried during the flight.

Jernigan's third flight was on Endeavour (STS-67) in March 1995.  At just over 16 1/2 days, it was Endeavour's longest flight.

Her fourth mission was back on Columbia (STS-80) in December 1996. At just over 17 1/2 days, it was the longest shuttle flight ever.

Her fifth and final flight was on board Discovery (STS-96) May-June 1999.  It was the first space  shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

She retired from NASA in 2001 and is married to fellow ex-astronaut Peter Wisoff.