Astronaut Bruce McCandless born 1937

Bruce McCandless II, born June 8, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts, went into space twice. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958, and received flight training from the Naval Air Training Command in Pensacola, Florida and in Kingsville, Texas.

He was selected as an astronaut in the NASA Astronaut Group 5 at age 28, the youngest member of the group. He served as mission control capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during Apollo 11.  He served as CAPCOM for Apollo 14, as well as astronaut support crew.  He was reassigned to the Skylab program, serving as CAPCOM for Skylab 3 and Skylab 4.

His first mission was aboard Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41-B) as mission specialist in February 1984. During the mission he performed the first untethered spacewalk, using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), traveling 322 ft away from the shuttle. He spent eight days in space.

His second mission was aboard Discovery (STS-31) as mission specialist in April 1990. He was planning to conduct an EVA with fellow astronaut Kathryn Sullivan to fix and array that could not be deployed through ground control, but the problem was fixed without the need of an EVA.  He returned to Earth after 5 days in space.

McCandless passed away in December 2017.

Happy birthday, astronaut Jack Lousma!

Jack Lousma, born February 29, 1936 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been in space twice, participating in two different projects. 

His first trip into space was aboard Skylab 3 as pilot in July-September 1973. He conducted two EVAs for a total time of 11 hours.

His second trip into space was aboard Columbia (STS-3) as commander in March 1982.

In April 1970, he was the CAPCOM recipient of the "Houston, we've had a problem" message from Apollo 13.

Karl Henize, Space Shuttle astronaut, born 1926

Karl Henize, born October 17, 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio, traveled into space aboard Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-51-F) July-August 1985 as mission specialist.  Chosen as an astronaut by NASA in 1967, he completed jet pilot training at Vance AFB in Enid, Oklahoma(!) and served as support crew for Apollo 15 and Skylab 2-4 missions.

On Challenger, he logged 188 hours in space.

He passed away in October 1993 from high altitude pulmonary edema during a climb of Mount Everest.  He was part of test to study how people's bodies would be affected by radiation for long duration space missions.

Remembering astronaut Alan Bean (1932-2018)

Apollo and Skylab astronaut Alan Bean passed away today.  The details of his passing haven't been released yet.  Bean, born in Wheeler, Texas, went to the moon on Apollo 12 and is one of the few men to have walked on its surface in November 1969.

He returned to space aboard Skylab 3, the second manned mission to the space station in 1973. 

He retired from NASA in 1981.

Happy birthday, Alan Bean, Apollo and Skylab astronaut!

Alan Bean, born March 15, 1932 in Wheeler, Texas (that's in the panhandle just north of Shamrock), made his first trip into space aboard Apollo 12, becoming the fourth man to walk on the moon.    NASA slected him as part of Astronaut Group 3 in 1963 and was assigned backup command pilot for Gemini X.  He was assigned as backup crew for Apollo 9 when fellow astronaut Clifton Williams was killed when his T-38 jet trainer crashed.

Bean was launched on Apollo 12 in November 1969.  The spacecraft was struck by lightning 36 seconds after launch and Bean restored telemetry by executing the "Flight, try SCE to 'Aux'" task.  The lunar lander touched down in the Ocean of Storms within walking distance of the probe Surveyor 3, which had landed in April 1967.  Bean and Pete Conrad removed parts of the probe to return to Earth for testing. 

Bean was then assigned as commander of Skylab 3, with Owen Garriott and Jack Lousma.  During the mission, Bean tested a prototype of the Manned Maneuvering Unit and performed an EVA outside Skylab.

He resigned from NASA in June 1981 to devote time to his painting.

Happy birthday, Skylab, Space Shuttle astronaut (and Okie!) Owen Garriott!

Owen K. Garriott, born November 22, 1930 in Enid, Oklahoma, flew on  Skylab 3 and the Space Shuttle Columbia.  He was selected as an astronaut in 1965 and his first mission was aboard Skylab 3 from July - September 1973, doubling the amount of time astronauts spent in space from the previous record.

During the mission, the controllers in Houston were surprised to hear a woman's voice coming from Skylab 3, even calling Bob Crippen by name.  She explained:

"The boys haven't had a home-cooked meal in so long I thought I'd bring one up." After several minutes in which she described forest fires seen from space and the beautiful sunrise, the woman said: "Oh oh. I have to cut off now. I think the boys are floating up here toward the command module and I'm not supposed to be talking to you." 

Garriott had recorded his wife the night before liftoff and the crew was in on the prank.

Garriott's second flight was aboard Columbia (STS-9) November-December 1983 as a mission specialist.  His son Richard flew aboard Soyuz TMA-13 in October 2008, becoming the first American to follow a parent into space.

Skylab 3 launched 1973

Skylab 3 crew (L-R): Owen Garriott, Jack Lousma, Alan Bean

Astronauts Alan L. Bean, Science Pilot (and Oklahoman) Owen K. Garriott and Pilot Jack R. Lousma blasted off July 28,  1973 in Skylab 3, the second manned mission to the U.S. space station.  Their mission time was 59 days and 11 hours.  NASA extended the mission from one to two months so the effects of flight duration on physiological adaption and readaptation could be examined.