That's new for me. If I'm not wrong, no mention in "Deke!" to the Mattingly assignment.
Thanks, Michael. Obviously you're right and I was wrong. It's strange that I paid no attention to that as I carefully read any info concerning missions assignments, changes, switchs, replacements... I have a list including even the most improbable chances of hypothetical crews, but nobody's perfect!By the way it's a pleasure to hear from you since "Deke!" is my astronautics Bible. I still remember the day I got it and almost compulsively began to read it looking for such amount of details I ignored and was avid of knowing. Sorry for missing that detail concerning Mattingly.There is something (probably the only thing) that I haven't found there, or maybe I passed over it too: what happened to Tom Stafford after Apollo 10 and why he missed the chance of a lunar landing. I know he was the Chief of the Astronaut Office, but the same way he left it for the ASTP mission he could have done it before in order to walk the moon. But I guess that each thing has its time and Tom's ones were those.
Michael,Your reasoning makes perfect sense. What changed Tom Stafford's feelings between mid-Apollo and ASTP? Was anyone else given serious consideration as ASTP CDR (excluding Deke)?
Michael,What was Al Shepard's attitude toward flying again (or not) after Apollo 14?He returned to the chief's job until early 1974 and I find it difficult to believe that he would have stayed so long with zero chance of another flight...and, if so, he'd have been too old to wait around for Shuttle. Would he have been interested in ASTP?Thanks.
For Michael:I got the impression, based on "Deke!", that Shepard may have gotten caught up in Kenny Kleinknecht's resignation, as he was serving as his deputy. Is this totally accurate, or did Shepard just see "greener pastures" in the business world, once 1974 rolled around and there was nothing in the pipeline for managing the Astronaut Office, but ASTP and Shuttle Development?