“Looks real good over here… Everything looks real good…

They’re down, pick up your feet.

Five, four, three, two, one, touchdown…

Welcome home Columbia. Beautiful, beautiful.”

Jon McBride, T-38 pilot Chase 1,

April 14, 1981, during the landing of Columbia (STS-1). [1]

For the sake of emphasis, it is worth repeating the well-chosen words of Mike Coats when he spoke about the heterogeneous mix within the TFNG class. “Most of the previous classes had either been pilot astronauts or scientist astronauts, including medical doctors. In our class, we had 15 pilot astronauts, and we had six women. We had engineers, scientists, medical doctors – a real mixture of folks. And the age difference was pretty large too. It was fascinating to see the interaction of that class of 35 people, because nobody was really senior to anybody else, and we outnumbered all the astronauts that were already here. There were only 29 astronauts when we got here, and we were 35 more.

Fig. 9.1:
figure 1

Astronauts Sally Ride and Jim Buchli at the Capcom console in Mission Control during an STS-2 simulation (Image courtesy of Ed Hengeveld).

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Fig. 9.2:
figure 2

Astronaut Judith A. Resnik confers with Flight Directors Harold M. Draughon and Jay H. Greene at their console during Day 5 of the STS-3 mission. Another huddle in the background includes astronauts George D. Nelson and Sally K. Ride (Image courtesy of Ed Hengeveld).

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Fig. 9.3:
figure 3

Astronauts Ken Mattingly (front) and Hank Hartsfield, the back-up crew for STS-2, watch an unmanned demonstration of the slide wire crew escape system at the Launch Pad 39A service tower. A sandbag-laden gondola basket rolled down a cable to ground level at approximately 60 mph. At right is support crewmember Don Williams. (Image courtesy Ed Hengeveld.)

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Fig. 9.4:
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STS-4 CDR Ken Mattingly and PLT Hank Hartsfield discuss mission events with astronauts and administrators during a post-flight crew debriefing held in a JSC conference room. Seated around the conference table [clockwise from lower left] are: Dick Truly [back to camera]; astronaut William B. Lenoir (blue shirt), Hartsfield, Mattingly, astronaut Robert F. Overmyer, TFNG astronaut S. David Griggs, astronaut Joe Allen, Chief Astronaut John W. Young, NASA Administrator George W. Abbey, and astronaut Vance D. Brand. On the perimeter of the room are TFNG astronauts George D. Nelson (left) and Francis (Dick) Scobee (right). (Image courtesy Ed Hengeveld.)

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Fig. 9.5:
figure 5

John Fabian (left) and Fred Gregory at their desks in one room (with windows) of the Astronaut Office, Building 4, JSC. (Image courtesy Ed Hengeveld.)

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“Suddenly we dominated, but they were glad to see us because they had a lot of work they needed us to do. It was really fun for us because there were enough Apollo astronauts still left over that they were able to mentor us, and we really enjoyed that. Of course we were still developing the Space Shuttle and learning how the Orbiter was going to operate. We got involved right away in developing operational procedures and flight rules for this amazing new vehicle; it was really a special time.” [2] Though their number initially made a difference in the Astronaut Office, the Thirty-Five New Guys (TFNG) would not remain the latest additions for long, because another selection was being organized even as the Class of 1978 were completing their Ascan program (see sidebar: Nineteen More “New Guys”).

Years later, Ox van Hoften recalled the challenges of those early years, as they were waiting for a flight assignment with new astronauts already coming in behind them. “As the program wore on, we got put into groups working for various people throughout the thing. When you don’t know where it is and you don’t know how you’re graded and whatnot, it got to be very, very awkward, because some people got what looked like good jobs and other people got what looked like not-so-good jobs, and that was hard.”

Nineteen More “New Guys”

While still unflown by the summer of 1980, the TFNG were not lacking for work as they supported the activities necessary to get the Shuttle off the ground and through the first half-a-dozen missions to qualify the system, prior to the more extensive missions in which they were expected to be involved. Though technically still rookies, the TFNG would soon be followed by a new group of Ascans, who were scheduled to arrive shortly. In anticipation of a greater flight rate, as well as the natural attrition of veteran astronauts once the Shuttle started flying, the call for the ninth astronaut selection was issued on August 1, 1979. Later that same month, the Ascan program for the TFNG ended officially and earlier than originally expected, making them ‘Silver Pin Astronauts’. [3] Desiring to expand the diversity of the group even further, NASA issued an additional call just one month later, encouraging those of Hispanic origin to apply for astronaut training. [4] By December 1979, a total of 3,278 applications had been received for consideration for the agency’s ninth group of astronauts. [5] Following the selection process, and with the first Shuttle flight less than a year away, 19 new candidates were named by NASA on May 29, 1980. [6] The new group would report to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston to begin their year-long Ascan training program on June 30. [7]

In addition, as part of an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA), who would be providing the Spacelab science laboratory for the Shuttle, two ESA astronauts also joined Group 9 for Mission Specialist (MS) training, the first non-American candidates to undergo NASA astronaut training. [8] This trend continued for the next 24 years, with international astronauts selected to train as MS for future Space Shuttle crew assignments as part of the Group 14 (1992), 15 (1994), 16 (1996), 17 (1998) and 19 (2004, the last group selected for flights on the Space Shuttle) NASA astronaut selections, supporting future Space Shuttle crewing through to the end of the program in 2011.

With their Ascan training now behind them, technical assignments allocated and preparations towards the first Shuttle launch progressing, the TFNG began to immerse themselves in their various assignments as they supported efforts to get the Shuttle into orbit. As the flight planning evolved, the complexity of each individual mission clearly demonstrated the wisdom of the decision to expand the Astronaut Office substantially, not only to fulfil the flight crew positions, but also to assign a significant number of astronauts to each flight in a variety of supporting roles (though without formally identifying them as a ‘support crew’). These assignments helped the new astronauts to expand their understanding of the Shuttle system and gave each of them the opportunity to get up close and personal with the hardware and procedures they would expect to be using on their own missions.

As the Shuttle’s first orbital mission drew closer, the TFNG waited patiently for news of their own flight assignment. By 1981, three years after arriving at JSC and with only a limited number of veteran senior astronauts remaining active, they all hoped it would not be long before they received the news they were all eager to hear. But first, the Shuttle had to prove it could fly well, fly safely, and then do so again and again. It was time to put all those years of design, debate and development into practice and begin the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) program.

The real role of an astronaut

Presenting detailed accounts of every assignment or mission by the members of the 1978 selection is beyond the scope of this current work. Indeed, it would take a library of titles to do this justice. Therefore, readers are respectfully directed to the Bibliography for further reading concerning the missions of the TFNG. Here, and in the following three chapters, we summarize their assignments as a group, in both the often-overlooked mission support roles and in the subsequent flight crew assignments for each of the missions that included one or more of the group. In fact, this begins with the very first mission in 1981 and ends three decades later in 2011 at the close of the Shuttle program, demonstrating the key role that the TFNG played as a group in encompassing the whole Shuttle orbital flight program from start to finish. These summaries present the significant assignments and departures from within the group, as well as mission milestones.

The image that most people have of an astronaut is of someone who spends a considerable amount of time in space, on mission after mission. This could not be further from the truth. History tells us that, as a group, the 35 members of the 1978 selection collectively spent approximately 978 days in space in total (with some flying together on the same mission), spread across 16 years and one month (or 5,870 days) between June 1983 (STS-7) and July 1999 (STS-93). That works out at less than 17 percent of group’s total NASA careers actually spent in space. Shannon Lucid, the longest serving and most experienced member of the group in terms of flight time, accumulated 33 years and six months of service in her NASA career between July 1978 and January 2012. Her flight record of 224 days was achieved across five missions, over an 11-year period between June 1985 and September 1996. Clearly, the time astronauts (or cosmonauts) actually spend in space is only a fraction of that spent on the ground, and the bulk of their role is taken up with training, simulations, endless meetings, outreach activities and both domestic and (more recently) international travel. Examining the records of each of the TFNG underlines this, revealing a wealth of assignments and roles spread across their years at NASA in between their occasional assignment to a flight crew, starting with their assignments in the fall of 1979 in support of the very first Shuttle mission.

Supporting the Flight Tests

The main support assignments for STS-1 were announced in an Astronaut Office memo (CB-79-054) dated October 23, 1979. Assigned to the prime crew for this important and historic mission were John W. Young (Commander, or CDR) and Robert L. Crippen (Pilot, or PLT). They would be backed up by Joe H. Engle (CDR) and Richard H. Truly (PLT), who were also in training to fly the second test flight, STS-2, a few months later.

Quite naturally, Young was the primary point of contact within the Astronaut Office for all matters related to the first flight. but seven members of the TFNG were assigned in support roles for this crucial mission. Detailed to the Capcom group in the Mission Control Center (MCC) at Houston, together with some of the veteran astronauts, were Dan Brandenstein (‘Silver’ team Capcom for launch, replacing the retired Ed Gibson), Rick Hauck (back-up entry Capcom ‘Crimson’ team) and Jim Buchli (back-up orbit Capcom ‘Bronze’ team). Detailed to the support team down at the Cape were Terry Hart, Jon McBride, Steve Nagel and Loren Shriver (the first Astronaut Support Person, ASP).

The primary T-38 chase plane crews for STS-1 were subsequently identified as pilot Jon McBride (in a dual assignment) with photo/observer George ‘Pinky’ Nelson (prime Chase 1), and pilot Dave Walker with photo/observer Mike Mullane (back-up Chase). The Capcom on duty for the chase plane crews during the glide and landing phase at the end of the mission was Rick Hauck (Group 6 astronaut Joe Allen was assigned to the Capcom console in MCC, talking directly to Young and Crippen in the returning Columbia). Hauck would communicate with the T-38 chase planes as they rendezvoused with Columbia at 16,000 ft (4,900 m). [9]

The same October 1979 Astronaut Office memo detailed another group of astronauts who were assigned to a team headed by Paul ‘PJ’ Weitz, the Primary Point of Contact (PPOC) for creating and developing a generic support role for the whole OFT program. Included in this list were: Mike Coats, responsible for approach, landing and rollout issues; Guion Bluford, on the Configuration Control Board (CCB) and for the Technical Status Review (TSR); Don Williams and Anna Fisher, handling crew equipment, crew station and crew station improvement issues, with Williams given a concurrent assignment related to the Displays & Controls (D&C); and Ox van Hoften, responsible for issues regarding engineering simulation coordination. Due to the importance of the first mission to both the program and the future of American human space flight, other members of the TFNG would be assigned to support roles closer to the mission, either for contingency situations or actively participating during the flown mission.

“We Want to Dust it Off First”

STS-1/OFT-1 Columbia. Launched April 12, 1981; landed April 14, 1981

Following four years of construction, the first operational Orbiter, OV-102 Columbia, had arrived from primary contractor Rockwell on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) on March 25, 1979, just a few weeks after the TFNG had celebrated the first anniversary of their selection to NASA. Delays in qualifying the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) and completing the application of 30,000 insulation tiles on Columbia’s external surfacesFootnote 1, together with on-going issues with the SSME, meant that the intended first launch of the Shuttle had to be pushed back from 1979 to 1980, and eventually to 1981. By the time the vehicle was ready to fly, she had spent 750 days at the Cape (610 days in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF), a further 35 days in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and 105 days out on Pad 39A) before finally lifting off. These delays had a knock-on effect on the maiden flights of the TFNG, but conversely offered the opportunity for the 35 rookie astronauts to acquire further experience in supporting the initial Shuttle flights. They were at the forefront of preparing the vehicle to fly and developing its systems for subsequent flights (including their own), and gained valuable knowledge which would serve them well in their later careers.

Originally, the ascent Capcoms would have been Ed Gibson as prime and Dan Brandenstein as his back-up, but as Brandenstein recalled in 1999, reflecting on his good fortune to be launch Capcom on that first ascent, “when Ed Gibson retired, as opposed to pulling another experienced astronaut in to be the ascent Capcom, I inherited that position, and Terry Hart moved up to be my back-up. So that was kind of a thrill for me. To this day, I think I was more excited being Capcom on the first mission than I was actually flying my own mission. I still look back and think about it, listen to the tapes. I mean, I settled down, but you make calls back and forth just to kind of check to make sure everything was working all right, and the first couple, it’s real obvious that… I was pretty excited.” [10]

Brandenstein went on to recall experiencing the differences between being a launch Capcom back in Houston, watching a launch live as it left the Cape, and participating in one. “I never saw a launch until STS-3, because I was Capcom also for ascent on STS-2. I still remember a bunch of the wives went down to the launch of STS-1, my wife being one of them, so all I saw of it was on TV. When she came back about two days later after the launch… she was still ricocheting off the ceiling. In all the years we’d been married, I’d never seen my wife half that excited. She was just something else. ‘You wouldn't believe it. You just can’t believe it. What you see on TV is nothing! You ought to be there. You won’t believe it’.

“But I had to wait till STS-3 before I got to see one in person. And it is [exciting]. I think it’s significant that I think it’s more exciting watching one as a spectator than being on one. People always look at me like I’m smoking something. But really, I always [have] explanations. I call them pilot explanations for things. I can explain medical things in pilot talk, and it’s probably not right, but it at least is a way of explaining it that satisfies me. But when you’re watching one [a launch], you have no real responsibility, and it is noisy. You hear the popping and the cracking and the big long flames shooting out and everything like that, and you have no responsibility. I get a lump in my throat and chills up and down the spine and all that. But when you’re on board, you’re responsible for that baby, so you’re checking instruments and you’re making sure everything is working all right. You’re not there to take it in; you’re there to make it work. That’s certainly a different perspective. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I would never turn down a launch, the opportunity to go fly, to go watch one, but from a pure spectacle standpoint, the spectator point of view is more thrilling than the flying point of view.”

After a two-day delay caused by a computer synchronization issue, Columbia finally left the pad for the first time on April 12, heading into space on the first of four planned test flights. Eight minutes later, Columbia was in orbit. For the next two days the Orbiter was put through its paces by a jubilant Young and Crippen, as they evaluated living and working in this new spacious (for now, with only two crewmembers on board) American spacecraftFootnote 2. Columbia had launched on the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first human space flight, and so much had been achieved in the two short decades separating the flight of the small, single-seat Vostok ‘sharik’ sphere and the huge, multi-seat Shuttle Orbiter. The prospects for the Shuttle, and for the TFNG, looked promising, even after just a two-day test flight.

Pinky Nelson was part of the Chase Team for the returning Columbia on that first mission, “Jon McBride and I were Chase 1, so it was our job to rendezvous with Columbia on reentry and then follow it down to the runway. My job was to photograph the tiles and to make the calls as it came down, in case the radar altimeter didn’t work and things like that, [to] be able to call air speed and altitude. The training for that was amazing. Jon McBride and Dave Walker and then a couple of the staff pilots, Dick [Richard E.] Gray, especially, built this kind of empire around the chase program. There were just a ton of us, and every once in a while we’d be out at El Paso [Texas] and there’d be eleven T-38s lined up on the ramp. A lot of flying. So that experience was just great.

“So I got to see the launch of STS-1 from above the launch pad in a T-38. Jon and I were up orbiting… south of the launch pad and got to see the first launch, see it come off and go right by us. That was just really cool. I remember my response at that, as it went by, was ‘I’ll be damned! It worked’. We had so many problems getting STS-1 ready to go in the first place. So that was a really interesting experience. The chase team was terrific. McBride and the whole team did a good job.

“We almost blew it [though]. I mean, we’d been practicing with the radar folks from both Edwards [Air Force Base (AFB), California] and the radar organization in L.A. [Los Angeles, California], and the Shuttle was coming in and it was approaching and we were getting ready to go intercept it. We took off at Edwards and the first thing we did, we called the radar folks, and they said ‘You’re not going to believe this. We just lost all our power’. They were sitting in a dark room. They lost everything. They couldn’t guide us. So then the folks at Edwards took over, and so the rendezvous was really kind of grab-ass, but we saw the Shuttle and Jon is a great pilot [and he] got us up to it. I had this camera in the back and Jon’s flying around and I’m taking pictures. But we got the whole surface of the Orbiter photographed and Jon called out the landing and all that.”

There were always contingency plans in place during Shuttle flights, especially for the first couple of missions. “I was Chase-4 on STS-1,” said Robert “Hoot” Gibson, “so when Columbia launched on April 12, I was actually sitting in El Paso [Texas]… Chase-3 and Chase-4 [were] in El Paso. White Sands [Northrup Strip, New Mexico] was the Abort Once Around [AOA] strip, if they had had a problem that required an AOA. Dave Walker was Chase-3, so he was lead, and I was Chase-4. I had the TV cameraman in the back seat, and so we were sitting in El Paso, watching the launch. If they had declared an AOA, we would have hopped right in our T-38s and gotten right up on station over White Sands to chase them when they came back in. As soon as they got to MECO, Main Engine Cut-Off, we knew that they weren’t going Abort Once Around. We hopped in our airplanes and flew to Edwards to be in place to cover them, just in case they had to land on the first three or four orbits. Jon McBride and Dickie [Richard E.] Gray were down at Cape Canaveral for the launch, to chase them if they had to do an RTLS, Return to Launch Site. So then I wound up staying at Edwards. It was only a two-day mission, so we were at Edwards for two days. I was airborne over the alternate runway aim point, and Jon McBride and Dick Gray got to chase STS-1 when it came down to land.”

As Columbia landed, Young joked with Capcom Joe Allen that he wanted the Orbiter rolled straight into the hanger, to which Allen replied “No, we want to dust it off first.” Clearly, the first orbital flight of the Shuttle system had been an outstanding success. The landing of Columbia signaled the end of only the 77th trip into orbit since 1961, 32 of them by American astronauts. Witnessing this latest step in that adventure were 35 eager rookies who were supporting the developments and hoping to take a similar ride themselves very soon.

This first flight had been planned as a ‘minimum mission’, sufficient to qualify the whole Space Transportation System (STS) from launch processing, through countdown, ascent, orbital operations, entry, landing and post-flight activities. Through it all, Columbia had performed magnificently, so much so that John Young commented just after landing STS-1 that: “This is the world’s greatest all-electric flying machine.” A new era of human space flight beckoned and the TFNG were standing in line to participate, but as Columbia was taken back to the Cape on top of the SCA, it was time to prove it could be done all over again.

“First the Good News…”

STS-2/OFT-2 Columbia. Launched November 12, 1981; landed November 14, 1981

For the second flight of Columbia, all the Capcoms were from the TFNG, with Brandenstein again taking the prime role for ascent on the ‘Silver’ team backed up by Hart. Buchli was prime for the orbit ‘Bronze’ team backed up by Sally Ride (who was also identified as the primary Capcom during planned Remote Manipulator System (RMS) Flight Test Objectives), and Hauck was prime for the ‘Crimson’ entry team backed up by Nagel. [11]

An Astronaut Office memo noted that members of the STS-2 support crew had also been assigned dual technical responsibilities, in areas that the prime crew thought needed additional attention prior to their mission. [12] Terry Hart was assigned to the Flight Data File (FDF) for ascent/post-insertion and contingency Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA), flight techniques for ascent, contingency EVA activities, and development of the Hewlett-Packard HP-41C™ hand-held alphanumeric display calculator. Steve Nagel was assigned to FDF issues opposite to Hart covering deorbit preparations and entry, as well as entry flight techniques, entry data maneuvers and supporting the potential of contingency aborts to the Trans-Atlantic landing site in Rota, Spain, though he did not actually go there. Sally Ride was assigned to cover the overall coordination of STS-2 FDF inputs, specializing in on-orbit issues. She was also point of contact for the RMS (the robot arm) and the Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications 1 (OSTA-1) payload carried on the flight. Ellison Onizuka was prime ASP on this flight, with Steve Hawley as his back-up.

Two other TFNG were assigned as prime Chase 1 crew, though this was not mentioned in the Astronaut Office memo. Hoot Gibson was assigned as pilot, with Rhea Seddon (Gibson’s future wife) flying in the back seat as photo/observer.

The primary objective of the second Shuttle mission was to continue the orbital evaluation of the Shuttle and its systems. Since this flight marked the first occasion that a manned spacecraft had been launched into orbit for the second time with a crew aboard, it was also a milestone in space flight history, demonstrating the Shuttle system’s long-advertised capability to fly its vehicles repeatedly. Unfortunately, a problem with one of the three onboard fuel cells shortly after entering orbit meant that the planned five-day flight had to be curtailed to just two days. As a result, the crew’s workload was reorganized to fit as much of the planned work into two days as possible. This included limited tests of the new Canadian-built RMS, which would become one of the most beneficial working aids of the Shuttle program and a specialization area for several members of the 1978 selection.

In fact, it was one of those who had worked so hard on developing the RMS systems that informed the crew of their shortened mission. On November 13, 1981, Bronze Team Capcom Sally Ride had to tell the STS-2 crew that they were coming home early: “First the bad news. Our plan is that we’re running a minimum mission and you’ll be coming home tomorrow... Think of that you got all of the good OSTA [science package] data and all of the RMS data and you just did a good job. We’re going to bring you in early.” [13] Joe Engle later commented during the post-flight press conference that while STS-2 may have been a minimum mission, it gave maximum mission accomplishment, achieving over 90 percent of the pre-mission objectives.

Columbia soaks in space

STS-3/OFT-3 Columbia. Launched March 22, 1982; landed March 30, 1982

The initial support assignments for the third mission were listed early, in an Astronaut Office memo dated July 21, 1981. The support crew was to be Dave Griggs, Pinky Nelson and Brewster Shaw, who would also be the back-up Capcoms. After the STS-2 mission had been completed they would be joined by Terry Hart, Sally Ride and Steve Nagel, who would occupy the prime positions on the Capcom console. Hart and his back-up Griggs were assigned to the ascent ‘Ivory’ team, Ride and her back-up Nelson to the ‘Silver’ orbit team, and Nagel and his back-up Shaw to the ‘Crystal’ entry team. [14] The Astronaut Office memo also noted that Dale Gardner was to assume management of the FDF for the Astronaut Office from STS-3 and subsequent missions, until he was assigned to a flight. Steve Hawley was prime ASP and he and Dan Brandenstein formed the End Of Mission (EOM) exchange crew. The T-38 Chase team members included TFNG astronauts Dick Covey and Ron McNair, the latter returning to light duties after his automobile accident in September 1981 (see sidebar: McNair Injured).

The STS-3 mission extended the duration of a Shuttle on orbit to eight days, the nominal flight time for the early missions. The crew was able to put the RMS through its paces in a series of hot and cold soaks in space, in temperatures of between -66 degrees C and +93 degrees C. As with most flights, the mission encountered small, niggling problems that prevented it from being considered a 100 percent success, but the OFT program was nevertheless progressing well with just one flight left.

The First Flight-Suitable TFNG Candidates

Confidence in the Shuttle system was growing following the success of STS-3 and, as it required about a year to train a flight crew, it was now time to select the crews for missions beyond STS-6. The Advisory Group on Shuttle Crew Selection proposed that Bob Crippen and Dick Truly should be promoted to command STS-7 and STS-8 respectfully, based upon their distinguished work on the first two missions as Shuttle PLT. As these would be satellite deployment missions and not dedicated science flights, the other seats would be open to the first members of the 1978 select. But who would be chosen?

A memo from NASA Associate Director Henry E. (“Pete”) Clements listed the MS candidates for the two flights, and also stated that proposed PLT for the two missions were Rick Hauck and Dan Brandenstein respectively, with no other candidates identified. [15] Their selection ahead of the other 13 TFNG pilot astronauts once again highlighted a trend that had become normal practice in the release of crew assignments since the Gemini days and which continues to this day: No one ever explained why or how one person was chosen over a colleague.

In 2018, an insight to their assignment was provided by American author Michael Cassutt in his book on NASA engineer and manager George W. S. Abbey, who in 1982 was serving as JSC’s Director of Flight Operations with responsibility for selecting the Shuttle crews. [16] In selecting the first of the TFNG to flight crews, Abbey had set clear goals. Firstly, he wanted to choose MS with clear leadership skills, looking to reassign them quickly to far more complex missions further downstream. Next, he recognized the need to fly the first American woman and the first African-American as soon as possible, and from the start his leading contenders were Sally Ride and Guion Bluford. When Abbey presented his selections to Chris Kraft, the Director of JSC, Kraft decided that he wanted to discuss Abbey’s choices further. To justify his decisions, Abbey worked with Pete Clements, with added contributions from STS-7 CDR Bob Crippen, Leonard S. Nicholson (then Acting Associate Director, JSC), and Samuel L. Pool (Space and Life Sciences Directorate). Dr. Carolyn Huntoon (Deputy Chief of Personnel Development, and later the first female Director of JSC) had also been consulted by the Advisory Group with regard to the readiness of the six eligible female candidates

In April 1982, a shortlist of suitable candidates for STS-7 and STS-8 was assembled and their suitability assessed based upon training experiences. The memo noted that there was little data on susceptibility to ‘space sickness’ (later called Space Adaptation Syndrome, or SAS) at that time, but the medical team was producing a protocol to gather this data on all astronauts. To decide who should fly, the Advisory Group met and reviewed all 35 astronauts from the Class of 1978 and found that all were technically qualified and each had good public presence. This latter point was an important factor as the first flights of the new astronauts were bound to attract the attention of the media, especially when the first female and ethnic astronauts were named to a flight. Those assignments would naturally be a ‘news story’, but would also have the potential to be an irritating distraction to the overall objectives of the missions and the abilities of the whole crew. The ten shortlisted candidates included all six female astronauts, Judy Resnik, Sally Ride, Rhea Seddon, Shannon Lucid, Kathy Sullivan and Anna Fisher, indicating that either STS-7 or STS-8 would see the first American female astronaut in orbit. Considered alongside the women were Dale Gardner, Ron McNair, Guion Bluford and John Fabian. From these, the six women and Fabian were considered for STS-7, while Bluford, Gardner and McNair were shortlisted for STS-8Footnote 3.

For STS-7, the April 1982 review summarized each candidate’s experience and skills:

  • The only male MS candidate, John Fabian, had extensive RMS, Proximity Operations (Prox Ops) and rendezvous experience. He had worked on Crew Equipment assignments, was a supervisor of training and the FDF, and was working on Department of Defense (DOD) payloads. He was recognized as a leader, well organized and extremely well qualified in Prox Ops and RMS.

  • Anna Fisher had gained experience in the RMS, EVA, tile repairs, the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) and medical support operations, and had an outstanding public presence.

  • Judy Resnik had extensive RMS experience and was extremely well qualified on the systems. She had also worked on Spacelab, payload software, the Power Extension Package (PEP) and Power Module concepts, and training issues.

  • Sally Ride had worked as a Chase plane crewmember on STS-1 and as support crew and Capcom on STS-2 and 3, and was also extremely well qualified on the RMS.

  • Kathy Sullivan was experienced in the OSTA-1 and OSS-1 payloads, had flown as a crewmember on the WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft and as a Chase crewmember for STS-2, and had worked on flight software and vehicle integration down at the Cape.

  • Shannon Lucid had experienced assignments in SAIL and the Flight Simulation Laboratory (FSL), and had worked issues on Spacelab, crew training and the Space Telescope as well as Prox Ops and rendezvous.

  • Rhea Seddon had gained experience on the Shuttle’s food systems, Spacelab, displays and payload software, and the Orbiter medical kit and check list. She had supported the first three Shuttle flights, medical operations and in SAIL, but was not RMS trained and had only limited experience with the payload.

Though she was on the list, Seddon was not under consideration for STS-7 having also just informed her superiors in March that she was pregnant. “This was the first time an astronaut had become pregnant, and we wanted everyone to know [that] I intended to have a baby and come right back to my career… I didn’t want to be held back on jobs or flight assignments,” she wrote in 2015. She informed Chief Astronaut John Young, who “didn’t seem to know what to say except congratulations. We talked to Mr. [George] Abbey, Head of Flight Operations, and got his usual taciturn response.” They had a better response from Center Director Chris Kraft, who was pleased for Seddon and comfortable with her decision to continue her current career path. Seddon continued her assignments for a while, but was grounded from making T-38 flights and had to fly commercially to her assignments as helio-physician for STS-3. She was too advanced in her pregnancy to fulfil that role for the STS-4 landing on July 4. Three weeks later, on July 26, 1982, Seddon and Gibson became the proud parents of their first son. [17]

Bluford and McNair were on a shorter list to become the first black American astronaut in orbit on STS-8. McNair’s recovery from injuries sustained in his car accident possibly restricted his consideration for that flight, although the April 1982 matrix stated that there was “no apparent problem related to the automobile accident” so he remained under consideration. The shortlisted MS candidates for STS-8, therefore, were:

  • Ron McNair, who had worked Solar Max issues. He had limited RMS training but had experience in deployable experiments and Space Telescope, as well as the various systems onboard the Orbiter. He was also said to be “outgoing,” with an outstanding public presence.

  • Guion Bluford also had limited RMS experience, though more than McNair, and had worked on Spacelab and Shuttle systems, in SAIL and in FSL, and on DOD payloads

  • Dale Gardner had extensive experience in flight software and was considered extremely well qualified in that area. He had worked on the displays and controls, and supported STS-4 and DOD payloads.

Interestingly, Fred Gregory, the remaining African-American from the 1978 selection, was not even in the matrix for consideration for a position as either PLT or MS-2 on the STS-8 crew, though the reasons why remain unclear.

For STS-7, Ride apparently had a slight advantage in orbital systems over Resnik, the other leading candidate, but for Abbey it was Ride’s skills in handling the RMS that swung it in her favor. For STS-8, Bluford had the slight edge over McNair in RMS experience. In early April, the individuals concerned were informed of their assignments but were told not to say anything to the others, as the official announcement would be made at the next Monday morning pilots’ meeting.

MCNAIR Injured

On the evening of Sunday, September 13, 1981, five months after the triumphant return of Columbia from STS-1, Ron McNair was seriously injured in an automobile accident on Interstate 45 in Houston, Texas. While his wife had received only minor injuries, McNair had sustained eight broken ribs and a bruised lung and was admitted to the emergency room of Southeast Memorial Hospital in Clear Lake. He was subsequently placed into intensive care. The next day, he was transferred to a room on the orthopedic floor and was listed as in a stable condition. McNair was later sent home to recuperate from his injuries. He expressed eagerness to return to his duties at JSC and expected to do so “within weeks.” In the attachment to the Press Release issued by JSC, he was thankful that both he and his wife were not more seriously hurt and that they both expected to recover fully from their injuries. Medical privacy naturally precluded further information, but what is clear is that McNair was off work for some months while he recovered. Some reports have indicated that the incident almost cost him his astronaut career. He would not appear in a support role for six months, until serving on the T-38 Chase team as a rear-seat crewmember during STS-3 and on STS-4, where he was listed on the Public Affairs Office (PAO) support team. [18]

The First Assignments

On April 19, NASA released the names of the crew for STS-7, which was planned as a six-day flight for Challenger in April 1983 to deploy two comsats (Telesat-F and Palapa B1), a German Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) and carry the second Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications instrument package (OSTA-2). [19] In addition to veteran STS-1 PLT Bob Crippen, now assigned as mission CDR, were the first three members from the 1978 selection to be named to a flight crew: PLT Rick Hauck, and MS John Fabian (MS-1) and Sally Ride (MS-2).

In the April 19 Monday pilots’ meeting, George Abbey had simply informed the group that new crew assignments had been made, and then read out the list of names for STS-7, 8 and 9. In the room, there was a mixture of congratulations from the other TFNG that their colleagues were finally going to fly, and disappointment that they were not among the first themselves. Rhea Seddon later wrote that she was naturally a little disappointed when Sally Ride was named as the first U.S. female astronaut to fly in space, but Seddon was pregnant with her first child, having made the decision, with her husband Hoot Gibson, to start a family. She reasoned that she would rather have children and no space flights than lots of space flights but no children. In addition, she wrote, “Sally would have to go through the rest of her life as the FAWIS, the First American Woman In Space. Maybe that would not be such a good deal. Maybe it would be easier to be just one of the first.” [20]

In the same Press Release, NASA also issued the names of the crew for STS-8 under CDR Dick Truly, which included flight assignments for another three Group 8 astronauts: Dan Brandenstein as PLT, and MS Guion Bluford (MS-1) and Dale Gardner (MS-2). For STS-9, John Young was announced as CDR, with Group 8’s Brewster Shaw as PLT. STS-9 would fly the first Spacelab long module science mission, with MS Owen Garriott and Robert Parker already assigned. Two Payload Specialists (PS), one from the U.S. and one from Europe, were still to be announced.

At last, after four years of preparations, seven of the 35 TFNG were to enter the far more demanding mission training process. They were still at least a year away from flying, but a lot closer than the remaining 28.

America’s 206th Birthday Present

STS-4/OFT-4 Columbia. Launched June 27, 1982; landed July 4, 1982

An Astronaut Office Memo dated May 20, 1982 (the first the authors discovered that detailed far more support roles in the office, including the first from the 1980 selection) indicated that several of the Astronaut Office personnel would “support the STS-4 flight as needed.” Dave Griggs, George Nelson and Brewster Shaw were moved up to the prime Capcom positions for launch (‘Ivory’ team), orbit (‘Bronze’ team) and entry (‘Crystal’ team) respectively, with TFNG colleagues Bob Stewart ‘(Ivory’) and Mike Coats (‘Bronze’) serving in the back-up roles on the console. [21]

The memo also added that manning of the verification facilities (SAIL, FSL etc.) during the mission would be completed according to real-time requirements, with assignments made as the need arose. This was an indication of the pool of experienced astronauts that was now available to support the missions, offering far more flexibility in manning levels and giving the astronauts a broad range of useful experiences in preparation for their first flights. Other TFNG assignments in support of the last OFT mission were also noted in the memo, with Dick Scobee and Dale Gardner assigned to Mission Control Support but not Capcom duties, and a dedicated team of astronauts down at the Cape designated as the KSC Launch Support Team.

The launch support team for STS-4 consisted of Steve Hawley as ASP and Ox van Hoften as his back-up. Kathy Sullivan provided countdown support and Anna Fisher was on duty as medical helio-physician (possibly replacing the pregnant Rhea Seddon). Norman Thagard occupied the helio-physician position out at Northrup Strip where STS-3 had landed (later known as White Sands Space Harbor), for a potential emergency or alternative landing. Over at Dakar in Senegal, Dave Walker was ready to handle communications if Columbia had to conduct a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL). It is believed that after the launch – and now back in Houston – van Hoften became the liaison for the Center Operations Directorate (COD). At the end of the mission, a scheduled landing at Edwards AFB would be covered by Dick Covey (COD), who was also assigned as Chase 1 prime pilot. The EOM Exchange Crew was Loren Shriver and Kathy Sullivan. Don Williams was assigned to the Control Tower (TWR) for the landing at Edwards. Detailed to support PAO operations for the final OFT were Brandenstein, Hart, Hauck, Jeff Hoffman, McNair (now back in the office following his accident), Nagel and Judy Resnik.

STS-4 was the final OFT mission and the first to carry a classified DOD payload. Launched on June 27, 1982 and landing eight days later, this was the first American mission not to have a formal back up crew. The primary objectives included continuing the various orbital tests on the vehicle, as well as a range of 20 scientific studies along with the classified payload DOD-82-1 (later identified as the Cirrus cryogenic infrared radiance instrument designed to obtain spectral data on the exhaust of rockets and aircraft), and a UV horizon scanner. STS-4 was the first of ten classified Shuttle missions, all of which included at least one member of the TFNG. Other highlights included Ken Mattingly successfully demonstrating donning and doffing the new Shuttle EVA suit, and airlock operations that stopped short of actually cracking the hatch and going outside. That activity was planned for the next mission.

On July 4, 1982, President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy witnessed the landing of Columbia at Edwards and declared the STS program ‘operational’, signaling the end of the formal testing phase of the Shuttle program. That same day, a new Orbiter, Challenger (OV-099), left California bound for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Challenger was the former Structural Test Article (STA-099), which had been upgraded to orbital flight capability to replace Enterprise, whose reconfiguration would have been too costly following its work on the 1977 Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) and subsequent ground test programs. Challenger was to take on the majority of the missions over the next two years, with Columbia due to be refitted after STS-5 and the next Orbiter, OV-103 Discovery, still under construction. Challenger was also the Orbiter which would have both joyous and tragic connections for the TFNG.

An Operational Shuttle

With the completion of the four OFT missions and the delivery of the second Orbiter, NASA considered the program operational. Regular missions would begin to deliver commercial and military satellites into orbit, deploy planetary probes, operate scientific platforms and perform research missions from facilities in the payload bay. This claim of operational capability after only four OFT missions proved premature in the long run and generated a false sense of security with the system, at least for the public, media and politicians, if not to everyone within the program. It is worth recalling that even after a decade of flying three X-15 rocket planes (1959−1968), with 199 successful drop flights from their carrier aircraft (and several more canceled drops), the program was never classed as operational and remained merely a research program, a stepping stone in the challenge to master hypersonic flight.

As the Shuttle began this operational phase, one of the first members of the TFNG was assigned to an administrative role to broaden their experiences within the NASA system. In September 1981, Don Williams was named as Deputy Manager, Operations Integration at the National Space Transportation System Program Office, an appointment which extended to July 1983.

The following month, on October 20, 1982, NASA named the first Shuttle crew to be assigned to a fully-classified military payload. [22] Designated STS-10 (the tenth planned mission in the series) and due to be launched from KSC, the mission was under the command of Apollo and Shuttle veteran Thomas ‘TK’ Mattingly II. He was joined by three more representatives of the TFNG: Loren Shriver as PLT, Ellison Onizuka (the first Asian-American named to a flight crew) as MS-1 and Jim Buchli as MS-2. A fifth crew member, an unidentified USAF Manned Spaceflight Engineer (MSE, later identified as Gary Payton) would be announced shortly before the mission. For the first time on an American mission, virtually no other details were released due to its classified nature, other than its scheduled launch in the last quarter of 1983 and that it would be flown by Challenger on her planned fourth mission.

“We Deliver”

STS-5 Columbia. Launched November 11, 1982; landed November 16, 1982

The Astronaut Office memo for STS-5, issued on October 8, 1982, reported that the criteria for this flight would be the same as for STS-4. [23] The TFNG supporting the mission at MCC were Dave Walker, Dick Scobee and Jeff Hoffman. Capcom assignments were mainly filled by the newer Group 9 astronauts, although Mike Coats was prime Capcom on the ‘Granite’ orbit team and Dick Covey was prime on the ‘Gray’ planning team, backed up by Jon McBride. Other TFNG support assignments included the KSC launch support team of Ox van Hoften as ASP, Kathy Sullivan as back-up ASP and Anna Fisher as countdown support. EOM (post-landing) support assignments at Edwards showed Brewster Shaw and Shannon Lucid as the Exchange Crew and Norm Thagard as the Landing Support Doctor. Four TFNG were assigned to PAO support duties: Fred Gregory (CNN); Pinky Nelson (ABC); Steve Hawley (NBC) and Rhea Seddon (CBS).

STS-5 launched on November 11, 1982 the first operational mission in the STS program. During the mission, the crew successfully deployed the first two commercial satellites from a Shuttle payload bay. Unfortunately, the planned and much-anticipated first Shuttle-based EVA by Joe Allen and Bill Lenoir had to be abandoned due to problems with both EVA suits and was rescheduled for STS-6. The STS-5 mission was notable for other reasons. It was the first four-person launch and the first to fly astronauts occupying the new position of MS. Further, the role of MS-2 as Flight Engineer (FE), assisting the CDR (Vance Brand) and PLT (Bob Overmyer) during the ascent, was a position pioneered by Bill Lenoir in flight (helped in its development by Joe Allen, who served in the role for the descent), a role many of the TFNG would make their own.

STS-5 landed on November 16, 1982, and following the mission de-processing period, Columbia was taken off the flight program for the next year to be modified to fly a large crew and carry the Spacelab pressurized module in the cargo bay on its next mission, STS-9. With the success of STS-5 in deploying the comsats, but disappointment in not being able to complete the first Shuttle EVA and qualify the new EMU suits for operational use, NASA turned to the growing issue of the individual crewmember’s personal adaptation to space flight conditions.

Adapting to space flight… or not

Space sickness affected a percentage of crews during their first days on orbit (see sidebar: Space Adaptation Syndrome). In order to gather information early, and to investigate the conditions and possible preventative measures, NASA named two physician astronauts to the crews of STS-7 and STS-8 on December 21, 1982, to “assist in the accomplishment of additional mission objectives.” TFNG Norman Thagard was assigned to STS-7 and veteran Group 6 Scientist-Astronaut Bill Thornton to STS-8. Both would conduct medical tests to gather data on the physiological changes associated with SAS. The tests would focus upon the neurological systems and continued a program of studies which began on STS-4, aimed at better understanding the process and developing an effective countermeasure. [24]

Space Adaptation Syndrome

On March 23, 1983, NASA management at JSC issued a statement [Release 83-010] regarding the formal policy for the public release of information relating to the health of the astronaut crews during space flights. This was followed by a Fact Sheet [Release 83-024, June 22, 1983] detailing the historical perspective of Space Adaptation Syndrome (SAS) and its implications on the current research into the phenomenon during Shuttle operations.

In humans, the neuro-vestibular system supplies information about the direction and magnitude of gravitational forces acting on the body, to maintain equilibrium and spatial orientation. Once in space, gravitational forces are neutralized, causing significant realignment of the body’s sensory system and initiating a range of clinical symptoms. The most noticeable is SAS and includes dizziness, vertigo and vomiting. [25]

Early American space flights did not reveal this condition, mainly due to the lack of room available in the habitable volume of the spacecraft, although such effects were first recorded in 1961 by Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov aboard Vostok 2. With the introduction of ‘roomier’ vehicles such as Skylab and the Space Shuttle, significant movements of the head or body position could induce such symptoms, though not in every astronaut. As many as half of all space explorers can experience symptoms of SAS during their initial adaptation to microgravity. It can last a couple of days as the body adapts to the conditions of space flight, and can return after landing as the subject readjusts back to Earth’s gravitational environment.

Aware of the condition, NASA initiated the collection of data from individuals who flew on the Shuttle during the first six missions. [26] A Detailed Supplementary Objective (DSO) was developed (initially DSO 401, but expanded to include more than 25 investigations over a five-year period) to begin this process by conducting in-flight observations, supported by a series of pre- and post-flight data collection procedures, in order to develop ground-based tests to deduce susceptibility to SAS. This was also combined with the development of space motion sickness medication and a crew testing program. It was found that adjusting the mission timeline to allow susceptible crewmembers time to adjust to space flight was advantageous where necessary and possible, such as not scheduling a planned EVA for early in the mission, for example.

This early in the Shuttle program, there was still only limited data available to provide an accurate account of the occurrence of SAS, but these tests continued as the program evolved. One early link discovered was between disorientation and motion sickness. During the initial phases of space flight, crewmembers reported experiencing nausea and/or spatial disorientation in the first few hours or days of a mission when they moved their head or body too rapidly.

The research into adapting to space flight (and to life back on Earth) continued throughout the Shuttle program and featured dedicated Spacelab life sciences missions. Research programs continued in the Shuttle-Mir and International Space Station (ISS) programs, to better understand space adaptation during short-, medium- and long-duration space flights.

Naturally, NASA’s policy of being open with the press and public had to be balanced against the privacy of the individual astronauts, hence the March 1983 memo. The medical condition of each astronaut would be kept private unless it was determined to affect the mission adversely. This raised some initial concerns during some of the press conferences held in 1983, when reporters did not receive the in-depth answers they wanted on the health of the crews. Reported data were presented in an ‘average population’ format, without identifying individuals.

Six years later in October 1989, following the Challenger tragedy and the Shuttle’s return to flight, NASA issued another press release on the policy of talking about the crews’ medical condition during a mission. [27] It was stated that during future space flights (beginning with STS-34), medical consultations between the crew and NASA physicians would be routine, both to improve the understanding of SAS symptoms and to provide a timely treatment of the condition. Flight surgeons in Mission Control would hold a Private Medical Communication (PMC) with crewmembers in the pre-sleep periods on the first two days on a mission, when the condition is most prevalent. Additional consultation could be requested by the Flight Surgeon or crewmember as required. The release went on to state that “The consultations will be confidential because of the physician-patient relationship and privacy laws. If a crew health problem is determined to affect a mission adversely, the Flight Surgeon will prepare a statement for public release which will address the nature, gravity and prognosis of the situation. Information beyond that required to understand the mission impact will not be released.”

Events gather pace

Barely a month into 1983, NASA announced new crew assignments. [28] On February 4, the STS-11 crew were identified, with veteran Vance Brand (Class of 1966) as CDR and Hoot Gibson as PLT. The MS included veteran Bruce McCandless (Class of 1966) and rookies Ron McNair (MS-1) and Robert Stewart (MS-2). STS-11 was scheduled as a seven-day mission and the fifth flight of Challenger and was planned for a January 1984 launch. It would feature the deployment of an Indonesian communications satellite and a test structure called the Payload Deployment and Retrieval System Test Article (PDRSTA), which would be used in conjunction with further evaluation of the performance and capabilities of the RMS.

In the same announcement, the crew for STS-12 were identified as CDR Hank Hartsfield (Class of 1969) and four more members of the 1978 selection: Mike Coats (PLT) Mike Mullane (MS-1), Steve Hawley (MS-2) and the second female from their selection to receive a flight assignment, Judy Resnik (MS-3). STS-12 was planned for March 1984 as the maiden flight of OV-103 Discovery, with the primary payload being the third in the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRS-C). A commercial PS from McDonnell (Charles Walker) was named to the crew four months later, to operate the company’s Continuous Flow Electrophoresis (CFES) equipment to demonstrate the efficiency with which electrically-charged biological cells could separate in microgravity. The CFES equipment had already flown on STS-4 and was also scheduled to fly on STS-6, 7 and 8, operated by NASA crewmembers.

Two weeks later, on February 18, the pace stepped up as the crew of STS-13 was identified. [29] Bob Crippen (Class of 1969) was set to command his third mission, although at this point he was still to fly his second (STS-7). Crippen would be joined by PLT Dick Scobee, with MS Terry Hart (MS-1), Ox van Hoften (MS-2) and Pinky Nelson (MS-3) completing the crew. STS-13 was planned as the sixth flight of Challenger, a five-day mission in April 1984 to repair the malfunctioning Solar Maximum Mission satellite and deploy the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).

The same news release also revealed the Shuttle crew for STS-18/Spacelab 3. Robert F. Overmyer (Class of 1969) was assigned as CDR, with Fred Gregory assigned as PLT. The MS were Norm Thagard as MS-2, Bill Thornton (Class of 1967) and Don Lind (Class of 1966). Thagard and Thornton were first scheduled to fly on STS-7 and 8 respectively, later in 1983. The PS for STS-18 would be named to the flight in due course. STS-18 was the first operational Spacelab mission, featuring experiments in material processing, space technology and life sciences. Spacelab 3 was to have flown after Spacelab 2, a developmental flight with 13 major experiments in plasma physics, infrared astronomy and solar physics, but a delay in the development of the Instrument Pointing System necessary for Spacelab 2 science operations necessitated switching the two missions. Two MS for Spacelab 2 (then manifested as STS-24) were named in the press release as Karl Henize and Anthony England (both class of 1967).

Assigning crewmembers early to science flights would become standard for subsequent missions, to provide a long lead time for training and association with the payload prior to the assignment of the Orbiter crew. The exchange of the flight order for the two Spacelab missions was an early indication that keeping the manifest on target was already becoming a challenge, as many of the TFNG would personally experience throughout their careers.

Moving Office

In his NASA Oral History, Hoot Gibson was asked to recall his experiences of being assigned his first office space in Building 4 (the Astronaut Office) and again once he was assigned to his first crew.

“Ellison [Onizuka] and I got put in one of the few interior rooms that didn’t have a window. Everybody else had a window. I think there were only two offices that were on this internal wall over by what was Rick Nygren’s office [Richard W. Nygren of the Flight Control Division], so we didn’t have a window. It was Ellison and me in one, and then the other one… was Mike Coats and maybe somebody else. I’m not sure about that, but I think that’s what I found out the first day, was where my office was and that Ellison and I were going to be officemates. When the ’80 class came in, we got Woody [Sherwood C.] Spring in addition in our office. Ellison and I were in that office together all the way up until he got assigned to STS-10. It was supposed to be the tenth mission to launch. What we always did when you got assigned to a crew was you moved into a crew office. I guess on a five-person crew, it was three in one office and two in another office, right next to each other. We were constantly moving offices around. Every time we’d have another crew selection, they’d put out a new office assignment list, and you’d have to move. As I remember, it was four-and-a-half years that Ellison got assigned to STS-10 and moved from that office. I, at some point after that, got assigned to the next mission, STS-11, which turned into [STS]-41B. When we were first assigned, it was STS-11. At that point, I moved out of that office and actually got an office with a window.” [30]

Challenger takes up the challenge

STS-6 Challenger. Maiden mission. Launched April 4, 1983; landed April 9, 1983

The sixth flight of the program was originally manifested as the final OFT mission, but when that series was cut to four test flights, STS-6 became the first mission for OV-099 Challenger, the second operational Orbiter.

Though the wider astronaut support roles were missing from the files researched by the authorsFootnote 4, at least the TFNG who supported the Capcom assignments were known. Dick Covey was prime for ascent on the ‘Emerald’ team, Jon McBride was prime for Orbit 1 on the ‘Ivory’ team and Covey was also assigned to the ‘Stone’ planning team. All the other Capcom assignments were fulfilled by Group 9 astronauts, reflecting the shift in staffing as the Group 8 astronauts were increasingly ‘promoted’ to flight crew training and the Group 9 astronauts moved in to gain experience of the ground support roles that the TFNG had filled since the start of the program. This pattern was reflected in Mission Support assignments throughout the 30-year Shuttle program.

The maiden flight of Challenger was highly successful, with the high point being the first EVA conducted directly from the Space Shuttle on April 8, nine years after the previous U.S. EVA from Skylab. The 4 hr 17 min Shuttle demonstration EVA by Story Musgrave and Don Peterson qualified the EVA/EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit, the spacesuit) hardware for operational use, initiating an EVA program directly from an airlock on the Shuttle that would continue to 2005Footnote 5. Operation of the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) after a flawless deployment by the crew was less successful, with the two-stage IUS tumbling out of control and placing the TDRS in a low elliptical orbit instead of its planned geostationary one. Over the next three months, the excess onboard fuel for the attitude control thrusters was used to move the satellite gradually to its required position. This mishap led to the creation of an investigation board on April 7 to examine the performance of the IUS following its deployment from Challenger. [32] It was subsequently determined that a collapsed second-stage nozzle seal had caused the failure. As a result, it was announced on May 27 that the second TDRS (B) would be deleted from the STS-8 manifest. [33]

On May 16, 1983, NASA announced a call for its tenth group of astronauts to fill an expected 12 vacancies (six PLT and six MS). [34] The successful candidates would be announced in the spring of 1984. This was the first of what was intended to be an annual selection of Space Shuttle astronauts. The statement went on to explain that “The number of candidates to be recruited in subsequent selection periods will vary depending upon mission requirements and the rate of attrition to the existing astronaut corps.” With the Shuttle now flying, many of the remaining astronauts selected in the 1960s were close to retirement, leaving the TFNG as the senior Shuttle-era class in the agency, though they were all yet to fly.

By early June 1983, over two years into Shuttle flights and a year after the end of the orbital test phase, the new era of American manned space flight was on the brink of expansion. Up to now, all of the six Shuttle missions flown had been crewed by veterans from the groups selected in the 1960s. But with STS-7, this was all about to change. Of the 35 candidates chosen in January 1978, there were now 23 (or 65.7 percent of the group) assigned to mission training, with the remainder soon to be named to their own maiden flights. The first TFNG were about to earn their astronaut wings and gold pins.