Author Topic: When were these crews named?  (Read 3861 times)

Offline STS-85

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When were these crews named?
« on: 09/20/2010 07:03 pm »
Just out curiosity, I'm curious about the following crews and when they were named..
STS-6 (the last time there were only 4 assigned)

STS-51J

STS-61C (also wondering, when did Columbia have her named moved from the payload bay doors to the 'proper' location? Was it between STS-9 and 61C or during the long stand-down post-Challenger accident?)

STS-28 (I'm sure a crew was named pre-Challenger for a similar mission but modified...)

STS-38

OK thanks if anyone has any insight on those...

« Last Edit: 09/20/2010 07:07 pm by Chris Bergin »

Offline Skylon

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #1 on: 09/20/2010 07:55 pm »
Not specific answers on many but, yes, the STS-28 crew was almost the complete crew for STS-61-N, a DoD mission canceled after Challenger. A DoD MSE was dropped from the crew, and the PLT, Mike McCulley was replaced by Dick Richards.

Columbia's name was moved forward of the payload bay doors between STS 9 and 61-C.

I'm curious about the STS 51-J crew. I was watching the STS 51-D landing and at wheel stop the CapCom says to CDR, Bo Bobko that he's expected in the simulator later that day, with the rest of the STS 51-J crew.

Offline STS-85

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #2 on: 09/20/2010 07:59 pm »
Yes, I think it was some experiment in crew-turnaround time or something.. Crippen commanded 41C and 41G 6 months apart and Bobko 51D and 51J, but I'm sure the rest of the crew had been named earlier..
Thanks for the info on when Columbia's name was moved. I tried looking for pictures online but none were close-up enough to be able to see definitively.

If anyone can direct me to any press releases or has any knowledge of those other flights, I appreciate it, thanks!

Online Michael Cassutt

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #3 on: 09/21/2010 03:03 am »
Just out curiosity, I'm curious about the following crews and when they were named..
STS-6 (the last time there were only 4 assigned)

March 1, 1982, along with the crews for STS-4 and STS-5.  (Weitz' crew had been in training since at least December 1981.)

STS-51J

Trickier.  There was a "DOD Standby" crew of Bobko, Grabe, Hilmers, Mullane and Stewart announced November 16, 1983.  They were aimed at one particular DOD (NRO) payload -- which was changed by August 1984.  The public announcement of a four-man 51-J crew (Mullane was moved, with his payload, to the first Vandenberg mission) was Feb. 17, 1985.

STS-61C (also wondering, when did Columbia have her named moved from the payload bay doors to the 'proper' location? Was it between STS-9 and 61C or during the long stand-down post-Challenger accident?)

Almost as tricky.  Gibson's crew as originally assigned to 51-I on October 18, 1985.  Various payload and mission shuffles later, it seems they landed on 61-C by June 3, 1985.


STS-28 (I'm sure a crew was named pre-Challenger for a similar mission but modified...)

As STS-28, announced Feb. 5, 1988.  Its earlier iteration as 61-N was in November 1985.


STS-38

March 10, 1989

OK thanks if anyone has any insight on those...



Michael Cassutt

Offline STS-85

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #4 on: 09/21/2010 02:51 pm »
Wow, Thanks so much!! Do you have a source like a website or something or you just have inside info? That's really informative and I appreciate it.
The early days must've been strange at least compared to now, in that missions and payloads were juggled so much..



Just out curiosity, I'm curious about the following crews and when they were named..
STS-6 (the last time there were only 4 assigned)

March 1, 1982, along with the crews for STS-4 and STS-5.  (Weitz' crew had been in training since at least December 1981.)

STS-51J

Trickier.  There was a "DOD Standby" crew of Bobko, Grabe, Hilmers, Mullane and Stewart announced November 16, 1983.  They were aimed at one particular DOD (NRO) payload -- which was changed by August 1984.  The public announcement of a four-man 51-J crew (Mullane was moved, with his payload, to the first Vandenberg mission) was Feb. 17, 1985.

STS-61C (also wondering, when did Columbia have her named moved from the payload bay doors to the 'proper' location? Was it between STS-9 and 61C or during the long stand-down post-Challenger accident?)

Almost as tricky.  Gibson's crew as originally assigned to 51-I on October 18, 1985.  Various payload and mission shuffles later, it seems they landed on 61-C by June 3, 1985.


STS-28 (I'm sure a crew was named pre-Challenger for a similar mission but modified...)

As STS-28, announced Feb. 5, 1988.  Its earlier iteration as 61-N was in November 1985.


STS-38

March 10, 1989

OK thanks if anyone has any insight on those...



Michael Cassutt

Offline Jorge

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #5 on: 09/21/2010 02:55 pm »
Wow, Thanks so much!! Do you have a source like a website or something or you just have inside info?

The latter. He's the co-author of Deke Slayton's autobio:

http://www.amazon.com/Deke-Autobiography-Donald-K-Slayton/dp/031285918X/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285080847&sr=8-7
JRF

Offline psloss

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #6 on: 09/21/2010 03:26 pm »
Columbia's name was moved forward of the payload bay doors between STS 9 and 61-C.
Severe trivia, but that was done between 61-C and STS-28.

Also with respect to public announcements, Johnson Space Center has published its archive of press releases online:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/releases/archives.html

That doesn't necessarily cover all the mission and manifest changes, particularly in 1984 and 1985, but there are some clues there.

Online Michael Cassutt

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #7 on: 09/22/2010 02:24 pm »
Wow, Thanks so much!! Do you have a source like a website or something or you just have inside info?

The latter. He's the co-author of Deke Slayton's autobio:

http://www.amazon.com/Deke-Autobiography-Donald-K-Slayton/dp/031285918X/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285080847&sr=8-7

Some of it was inside information, in the sense that I often heard, via telephone (I had internet, but there was no NSF in those days ;), news of Shuttle crew assignments a day or two before the press release.... but most of the data is simply from my own collection of JSC docs, etc.

MC

Offline TALsite

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #8 on: 09/22/2010 02:39 pm »

The latter. He's the co-author of Deke Slayton's autobio:

Michael Cassutt is also the author of the GREAT book Who's who in Space.
http://www.amazon.com/Whos-Space-3e-Michael-Cassutt/dp/0028649656/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285165772&sr=1-9
Essential

Offline aurora899

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #9 on: 09/24/2010 04:52 pm »
Michael Cassutt is also the author of the GREAT book Who's who in Space.
http://www.amazon.com/Whos-Space-3e-Michael-Cassutt/dp/0028649656/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285165772&sr=1-9
Essential

Correct, but we could really do with a new edition... :)

Offline brihath

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #10 on: 09/24/2010 05:35 pm »
Michael Cassutt is also the author of the GREAT book Who's who in Space.
http://www.amazon.com/Whos-Space-3e-Michael-Cassutt/dp/0028649656/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285165772&sr=1-9
Essential

Correct, but we could really do with a new edition... :)

Excellent book.  It is in the reference section of our local library.  An update would be nice following the STS program completion.

Online Michael Cassutt

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Re: When were these crews named?
« Reply #11 on: 09/28/2010 10:28 pm »
Michael Cassutt is also the author of the GREAT book Who's who in Space.
http://www.amazon.com/Whos-Space-3e-Michael-Cassutt/dp/0028649656/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285165772&sr=1-9
Essential

Correct, but we could really do with a new edition... :)

Excellent book.  It is in the reference section of our local library.  An update would be nice following the STS program completion.

The author agrees.  (The author himself was never happy with the 3rd edition in 1999, anyway.)

I've continued to update the files and hope, someday, to find a publisher or e-publisher for the 21st Century/Post STS edition.  (The reference book world has gone the way of the gas lamp and manual typewriter.)

Michael Cassutt

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