Happy birthday, astronaut Gregory Harbaugh!

Gregory Harbaugh, born April 15, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio, went into space four times. 

His first mission was aboard Discovery (STS-39) as mission specialist in April 28, 1991. The mission was dedicated to the US Department of Defense. He spent over 8 days in space, returning to Earth on May 6.

His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-54) as mission specialist launched January 13, 1993. During the mission, Harbaugh and fellow astronaut Mario Runco conducted a 5 hour EVA in the cargo bay to advance NASA's understanding of working in space. He spent almost 6 days in space, returning to Earth January 19.

His third mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) as mission specialist to the Russian space station Mir, the third mission in the Shuttle-Mir program, launched June 27, 1995. He spent almost 10 days in space, returning to Earth, July 7. 

His fourth and final trip into space was aboard Discovery (STS-82) as mission specialist, launched February 11, 1997.  It was the second mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.  He and fellow astronaut Joseph Tanner conducted two EVAs during the mission for a total of about fifteen hours.  He spent almost 10 days in space before returning to Earth on February 21.

Atlantis (STS-71) launched 1995

STS-71 crew

Seated (L-R): Vladimir Dezhurov, Robert Gibson, Anatoly Solovyev

Standing (L-R): Norman Thagard, Gennady Strekalov, Gregory Harbaugh, Ellen Baker,Charles Precourt,Bonnie Dunbar, Nikolai Budarin

STS-71 mission patch

Atlantis (STS-71), launched June 27, 1995, was the first Space Shuttle to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir.  Its crew consisted of Commander Robert Gibson, Pilot Charles Precourt, Ellen Baker, Gregory Harbaugh, and Bonnie Dunbar.  It delivered two cosmonauts, Anatoly Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin, to Mir to participate in Expedition EO-19, and return with members of EO-18. 

The mission included filming with an IMAX camera, the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment-II (SAREX-II), and to conduct biomedical investigations.  Some of these experiments covered cardiovascular and pulmonary functions, human metabolism, neuroscience, hygiene, sanitation, radiation, and behavioral performance.

Atlantis undocked from Mir on July 4, and returned to Earth with the original crew, Gennady Strekalov, Vladimir Dezhurov, and Norman Thagard.  The shuttle's crew spent almost 10 days in space.  

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, 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.  

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, cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin!

Nikolai Budarin, born April 29, 1953 in Russia, is a veteran of three trips to space. 

His first trip into space was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) as mission specialist in June 1995 to the space station Mir.  He remained on board for over 75 days and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-21 in September 1995.  He was part of expedition Mir EO-19.

His second trip into space was aboard Soyuz TM-27 in January 1998 to Mir.  He participated in expedition Mir EO-25 and returned to Earth in August 1998.

His third and final trip into space was aboard Endeavour (STS-113) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in November 2002.  He took part in Expedition 6 and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-1 in May 2003.

During his career he has performed eight EVAs for a total of 44 hours.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyev!

Anatoly Solovyev, born January 16, 1948 in the former Soviet Union, is a veteran of five space flights and holds the world record for number of spacewalks performed, sixteen.

His first mission was aboard Soyuz TM-5 to he space station Mir as part of expedition Mir EP-2 in June 1988. He spent about 10 days before returning to Earth Soyuz TM-4.

His second flight was aboard Soyuz TM-9 in February 1990 as part of Expedition Mir EO-6.  He remained aboard until August 1990. He conducted two EVAs to effect repairs.

His third flight was aboard Soyuz TM-15 to Mir in July 1992 as part of expedition Mir EO-12.  Solovyev conducted four EVAs.  He returned to Earth in February 1993.

Solovyev's fourth flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) as mission specialist to Mir in June 1995. He was part of expedition Mir EO-19.  During the mission, he conducted three EVAs.  He returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-21 in September 1995.

His fifth and final fligh was aboard Soyuz TM-26 to Mir in August 1997 as part of expedition Mir EO-24.  He conducted seven EVAs to set the record at sixteen. He returned to Earth in February 1998.

Happy birthday, American cosmonaut Norman Thagard!

Norman Thagard, born July 3, 1943 in Marianna, Florida, is the first American to fly on a Russian spacecraft in March 1995, making him the first American cosmonaut.

His first trip into space was aboard Challenger (STS-7) as mission specialist in June 1983 with Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.

His second trip was aboard Challenger (STS-51-B) as mission specialist in April-May 1985.

His third trip into space was aboard Atlantis (STS-30) as mission specialist in May 1989.

Thagard's fourth mission was aboard Discovery (STS-42) as mission specialist in January 1992.

His fifth and last trip into space was aboard Soyuz TM-21 as a research cosmonaut to the Mir space station in March 1995.  He was part of the Mir EO-18 expedition and returned to Earth on Atlantis (STS-71) in July.

Cosmonaut Gennadi Strekalov born 1940

Gennady Strekalov, born October 26, 1940, went into space 5 times.  He lived on Salyut 6, Salyut 7 and Mir.

His first mission into space was aboard Soyuz T-3 as a research cosmonaut November-December 1980 to Salyut 6.  He and the rest of the crew of Soyuz T-3 stayed aboard for almost 13 days.

His second trip was as flight engineer on Soyuz T-8 in April 1983 to Salyut 7.  The craft failed to dock with the space station and due to damage to Soyuz T-8, the decision was made to return to Earth after only 2 days.

In September 1983, Strekalov attempted to go into  space on Soyuz T-10-1 with fellow cosmonaut Vladimir Titov.  The launch vehicle was destroyed by fire before the countdown had completed.  The escape system fired two seconds before the rocket exploded, saving the crew, battered and bruised but alive.

His third trip, which was successful, was as Flight Engineer on Soyuz T-11 in April 1984 to Salyut 7.  He returned to Earth on Soyuz T-10 about a week later.

Gennady's fourth trip was on Soyuz TM-10 as flight engineer to Mir in August 1990.  He and Gennadi Manakov spent over 4 months on Mir and returned to Earth December.

His fifth and final trip was on Soyuz TM-21 as flight engineer, launched in March 1995 to Mir.  He was part of the crew of the expedition Mir EO-18. He returned to Earth on Atlantis (STS-71) in July.

He passed away Christmas Day 2004 from cancer.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Charles Precourt!

Charles Precourt, born June 29, 1955 in Waltham, Massachusetts, is a veteran of four space shuttle missions.

His first flight was on Columbia (STS-55) as mission specialist April-May 1993.  It was the second flight to carry a German spacelab into orbit.

His second flight was as pilot on Atlantis (STS-71) June-July 1995.  It was the first of seven straight missions to Mir flown by Atlantis.

For his third mission, Precourt was named Commander on Atlantis (STS-84) in May 1997.  This was the sixth flight of the shuttle program to Mir.

He was commander for his fourth and final spaceflight on Discovery (STS-91) in June 1998.  It was the final flight to Mir.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Vladimir Dezhurov!

Veteran cosmonaut/astronaut Vladimir Dezhurov, born July 30, 1962, in the former Soviet Union, has traveled on Soyuz and the Space Shuttle to Mir and the International Space Station.  He has logged 9 EVAs at just over 37 hours total.  Not bad for only 2 trips to space!

His first mission was aboard Soyuz TM-21, launched in March 1995 to Mir.  This mission saw the first American, Norman Thagard, to ride on a Soyuz spacecraft.  Dezhurov returned to Earth in July 1995 on the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-71).

He flew to the ISS in August 2001 aboard the Discovery (STS-105) and returned in December aboard the Endeavour (STS-108).