Author Topic: Information about former astronauts/cosmonauts/space flight participants  (Read 92003 times)

Offline ddspaceman

I met this man many times in the halls of Carleton University in Ottawa.   Always kind and considerate and generous with his time.

https://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/status/1511775714391085070

« Last Edit: 04/06/2022 08:54 pm by ddspaceman »

Offline jacqmans

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The Canadian Space Agency remembers Bjarni Tryggvason

Longueuil, Quebec, April 6, 2022 – Former Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason has passed away at the age of 76.

Tryggvason was one of the original six Canadian astronauts selected in December 1983.

He flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on August 7, 1997, as a payload specialist. He spent over 11 days in space, where he successfully operated a Canadian technology he helped develop: the Microgravity Vibration Isolation Mount. Designed to isolate payloads from vibrations, this technology would later be adapted for the Canadian Microgravity Vibration Isolation Subsystem.

Tryggvason was an engineer, scientist, educator, test pilot and proud father. He applied the highest standard to everything he did and will be remembered by his CSA colleagues, friends and family for his humour, dedication and originality.

Among the awards and honours he received are the Canadian Space Agency Innovators Award, 2003; Order of the Falcon from Iceland; Doctorate of Philosophy (honoris causa), University of Iceland, 2000; Doctor of Science (honoris causa), Western University, 1998; NASA Space Flight Medal 1997; and numerous scholarships throughout his university years. Tryggvason was recently inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame (2020) and was an associate member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

Quotes

“It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of Canadian astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason. Bjarni was one of our first astronauts, and he made important contributions to Canada’s space program. I want to extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends and former colleagues. Pilot, meteorologist, researcher, professor and astronaut, Bjarni inspired a generation of Canadians to dream big and reach for the stars. I am eternally thankful to have known him.”

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“I can’t believe my friend Bjarni Tryggvason is gone. We were both chosen as astronauts in 1983. He was the smartest engineer I ever met and a supremely skilled pilot. He taught me how to fly and patiently corrected me when I got it wrong. He was a fine human being. I miss him.”

The Honourable Marc Garneau, Member of Parliament
Jacques :-)


Offline ddspaceman



Offline ddspaceman

« Last Edit: 06/08/2022 02:02 am by ddspaceman »



Offline SMS

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July 22, 2022

NASA Astronaut Michael Gernhardt Departs NASA

RELEASE: J22-010

After nearly 30 years at NASA supporting human spaceflight, NASA Astronaut Michael Gernhardt is leaving NASA. His last day is July 25.

Gernhardt was selected as an astronaut in March 1992. He is a four-flight veteran, logging over 43 days in space, including four spacewalks totaling 23 hours and 16 minutes. He was a mission specialist on four space shuttle missions: STS-69 in 1995, STS-83 and STS-94 in 1997, and STS-104 in 2001. In addition, he was a crewmember on the first NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) mission in an undersea habitat and led numerous subsequent NEEMO missions simulating partial gravity environments including the Moon, Mars, and near-Earth asteroids.

Prior to becoming an astronaut, Gernhardt was a professional deep-sea diver and founder of Oceaneering Space Systems, where he led the development of a variety of spacewalking tools, life support systems, and decompression procedures.

His first spaceflight was STS-69 on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in September 1995. During that mission, he performed a spacewalk to evaluate the tools, hardware, and techniques that would be used to assemble and maintain the International Space Station before construction began in 1998. This included the body restraint tether, a mechanical arm attached to the spacesuit, and the micro-conical interface that allows astronauts or robots to remove and replace station components, both of which he invented.

Gernhardt was assigned as the lead spacewalker for STS-104, when he led the installation and outfitting of the International Space Station’s airlock, Quest. He also led an international team in developing a new pre-breathing protocol that uses exercise on a bicycle ergometer while breathing oxygen to speed the elimination of nitrogen to reduce the risk of decompression sickness during spacewalks. This effort included the human research subject testing and development of the flight procedures and hardware.

“I had the great opportunity of working with Mike Gernhardt throughout his career. In my position as chief astronaut, I assigned him to lead the early assembly of the International Space Station, a role that continues to enable space station operations still decades later, and that led to an array of benefits for Earth and exploration,” said NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana.

On July 20, 2001, during the STS-104 mission, Gernhardt and his crewmate NASA astronaut James Reilly, were the first crew members to use the exercise pre-breathing protocol, ushering in a new era of spacewalks from the station. Gernhardt also was the principal investigator on the development and implementation of the “campout,” or sleeping overnight in the airlock at lower pressure, the in-suit light exercise pre-breathing protocol, and the exploration atmosphere that uses a lower cabin pressure with higher oxygen concentration and an associated pre-breathing protocol that will facilitate spacewalks on the Moon and Mars.

Gernhardt served as the extravehicular activity and surface operations lead of a lunar development study, where he invented the concept of a small, crewed pressurized rover with a cabin incorporating the exploration atmosphere to facilitate rapid spacewalks for exploring the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. After his flight career, he led a team across NASA in the development and testing of four generations of this rover.

“Mike has had major contributions to human spaceflight and crew safety that have had and will continue to have a tremendous impact on us and our missions”, said Chief Astronaut Reid Wiseman. “The astronaut corps will not soon forget the expertise that Gernhardt brought to NASA missions on the space station and to future missions to the Moon and Mars.”

Gernhardt was born in Mansfield, Ohio. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1978, and a master’s and a doctorate in bioengineering from University of Pennsylvania, in 1983 and 1991, respectively.


Find Gernhardt’s biography here:


https://www.nasa.gov/content/michael-gernhardt


-end-

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-astronaut-michael-gernhardt-departs-nasa
« Last Edit: 07/23/2022 04:11 am by SMS »
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SMS ;-).



Offline Hog

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Oh those Kelly brothers.
"Fighter pilots make movies while Attack pilots make history, my brother was an F-14 guy."

That's great as the F-14 made movies AND made history as THE precision strike asset on deck for Allied Force as well as dropping precision weapons on day one of Operation Infinite Justice, later softened to Operation Enduring Freedom  October 2001 dropping LGBs and buddy lasing LASER Mavericks released from F-18s, using the Tomcats LANTIRN pods and high resolution PTID screens in the rear seat.  The Nitehawk pod system in the F-18s at the time wasn't the best, so F14s would target and use the F18s as missile/bomb trucks.
Operation Iraqi Freedom saw F-14s drop JDAM for the first time in combat. Many Tomcat crews that dropped JDAM in combat had never dropped JDAM before.  A pair of F-14s coming back from a TARPS recon mission, each dropped 2 Mk82 dumb bombs, 2 from each jet, finally sinking Saddams presidential yacht. With each of the unguided weapons striking exactly where aimed, one jet took the front while the other targeted the rear of the ship.
Further history was made with the F-14 in the FAC-(A) (Forward Air Controller-Airborne) helping the grunts on the ground. Having the 2 person crew was instrumental in the Tomcats mud-moving and FAC-A roles.

Paul


Offline ddspaceman

« Last Edit: 09/08/2022 07:48 pm by ddspaceman »

Offline ddspaceman

https://twitter.com/GeoffdBarrett/status/1567876254262501377

LOTS MORE SPACE HISTORY IN THIS TWITTER THREAD but I won't post it here now.

Offline AS_501

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I recall her visiting Goddard some years ago and conversing with the ISS crew.  Michael Foale accompanied her during the tour of the center.
Launches attended:  Apollo 11, ASTP (@KSC, not Baikonur!), STS-41G, STS-125, EFT-1, Starlink G4-24, Artemis 1
Notable Spacecraft Observed:  Echo 1, Skylab/S-II, Salyuts 6&7, Mir Core/Complete, HST, ISS Zarya/Present, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Dragon Demo-2, Starlink G4-14 (8 hrs. post-launch), Tiangong

Offline AS_501

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PS:  How many people can say they met the first man in space and the first man on the Moon?
Launches attended:  Apollo 11, ASTP (@KSC, not Baikonur!), STS-41G, STS-125, EFT-1, Starlink G4-24, Artemis 1
Notable Spacecraft Observed:  Echo 1, Skylab/S-II, Salyuts 6&7, Mir Core/Complete, HST, ISS Zarya/Present, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Dragon Demo-2, Starlink G4-14 (8 hrs. post-launch), Tiangong

Offline ddspaceman

Another former astronaut sighting on this mornings Blue Origin mission broadcast.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1569319611882930176


Offline ddspaceman

« Last Edit: 09/16/2022 04:54 am by ddspaceman »


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