Jeffrey Ashby
Jeffrey Ashby | |
---|---|
NASA astronaut | |
Rank | Captain, USN |
Time in space | 27d 16h 19m |
Selection | NASA Group 15 (1994) |
Missions | STS-93 STS-100 STS-112 |
Mission insignia | |
Retirement | June 2008 |
Jeffrey Shears Ashby (born June 16, 1954) is an American
Personal data
Jeff Ashby was born on June 16, 1954, in
Ashby is a 1986 graduate of the
During Desert Storm while based on the USS Midway (CV-41), Ashby became the first F/A-18 pilot to deploy the Walleye TV guided bomb in combat. During that mission, his F/A-18A Hornet from VFA-195 deployed a Walleye II to attack a T-shaped building at Umm Qasr Naval Base. According to him, it was also the first time that his Air Wing (Carrier Air Wing 5) had used the Walleye in combat.[2]
Later in the war, on February 13, 1991,[3] Ashby and his wingman found and destroyed a camouflaged Iraqi Super Frelon helicopter which had been armed with Exocet cruise missiles that could've attacked the Midway. Ashby released a Walleye I into the helicopter and brought back TV footage of the attack back to Midway. This allowed the Persian Gulf carriers to move closer to Kuwait.[1][2] After the war, the aircraft he flew on the Super Frelon strike (NF-104), was displayed at NAF Atsugi in Japan in May 1991.[2]
Ashby accumulated over 7,000 flight hours and 1,000 carrier landings during six aircraft carrier deployments in his Navy career.[1]
NASA career
His first flight, aboard Columbia, deployed the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Ashby's latter two flights aboard Endeavour and Atlantis were the sixth and ninth assembly missions for the International Space Station. He has traveled over 11 million miles, flown 436 orbits around the Earth, and logged over 660 hours (27.5 days) in space.[1]
Post-NASA career
Ashby was hired by Jeff Bezos's private spaceflight company Blue Origin as the Chief of Mission Assurance,[5] where he works to assure safety for human space flight.[6] He lives in Twin Lakes, Lake County, Colorado.
On July 15, 2019, Ashby sustained severe injuries after falling 500 feet near the summit of La Plata Peak mountain. He was located later that night and transported to the hospital after being recovered the following morning.[7]
Awards and decorations
- Defense Superior Service Medal
- Legion of Merit
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Navy Air Medal (4x)
- Navy Commendation Medal(2x)
- Navy Achievement Medal
- Navy Attack Aviator of the Year (1991)
- NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal
- NASA Space Flight Medal (3x)
References
- ^ a b c d e "Biographical Data – Jeffrey S. Ashby (Captain, USN, Ret.)" (PDF). NASA. January 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ a b c The Pursuit of Precision. AGM-62 Walleye The TV-Guided Glide Bomb. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ From the Sea: 1990 - 1999 (PDF). United States Navy.
- ^ Harwood, William (January 19, 2011). "Injured astronaut replaced on shuttle Discovery's crew". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- ^ Cofield, Calla (June 22, 2015). "Blue Origin Offers Tantalizing Preview of Private Space Trips (Video)". Space.com. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ DuBois, Shelley (June 29, 2012). "What biz leaders can learn from astronauts – Former astronaut Jeffrey Ashby discusses what it takes to make last-minute judgment calls in space and building a solid team". CNN Money. Archived from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
- ^ "Former NASA astronaut rescued after Colorado hiking fall". The Denver Channel. Associated Press. July 19, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
External links
- NASA Biography – Jeffrey S. Ashby (Captain, USN.)
- Spacefacts.de – biography of Jeffrey Ashby
- University of Idaho – Alumni Hall of Fame – 2001 – Jeffrey Ashby – class of '72