Michael Coats

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Michael Coats
NASA astronaut
RankCaptain, USN
Time in space
19d 7h 56m
SelectionNASA Group 8 (1978)
MissionsSTS-41-D
STS-29
STS-39
Mission insignia

Michael Lloyd Coats (born January 16, 1946) is a former

Houston, Texas.[1]

Early life and education

Coats was born January 16, 1946, in Sacramento, California. He was raised in Riverside, California, and graduated from Ramona High School in 1964. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1968, a Master of Science degree in Administration of Science and Technology from George Washington University in 1977, and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1979.[2]

Organizations

Honors

Coats was awarded the

Combat "V", and the NASA Space Flight Medal
.

Career

Coats graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968 and was designated a

U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland
.

Following test pilot training in 1974, he was project officer and test pilot for the

A-4 aircraft at the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate. He served as a flight instructor at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School from April 1976 until May 1977. He then attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California, from June 1977 until his selection for the astronaut candidate program.[2]

He has logged over 5,000 hours flying time in 28 different types of aircraft, and 400 carrier landings.

Space Shuttle astronaut

Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978, Coats became a NASA astronaut in August 1979. He was a member of the

space flights, Coats flew on STS-41-D in 1984, STS-29 in 1989, and STS-39 in 1991. From May 1989 to March 1990, he served as Acting Chief of the Astronaut Office
.

STS-41-D

On his first mission, Coats was pilot on the crew of

Remote Manipulator System.[4] STS-41-D completed 96 orbits of the Earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base
, California, on September 5, 1984.

STS-61-H

In February 1985, Coats was selected as the commander of STS-61-H, which was subsequently canceled after the Challenger accident.

STS-29

As commander of

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS), and performed numerous secondary experiments, including a Space Station "heat pipe" radiator experiment, two student experiments, a protein crystal growth experiment, and a chromosome
and plant cell division experiment. In addition, the crew took over 3,000 photographs of the earth using several types of cameras, including the IMAX 70 mm movie camera. Mission duration was 80 orbits and concluded with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on March 18, 1989. With the completion of his second mission, Coats has logged a total of 264 hours in space.

STS-39

Coats commanded a seven-man crew on

SPAS-II
spacecraft, in addition to conducting various science experiments including research of both natural and induced phenomena in the Earth's atmosphere. After completing 134 orbits of the Earth, Discovery and her crew landed at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on May 6, 1991. With the completion of his third mission, Coats has logged over 463 hours in space.

Private sector

Coats left the astronaut corps and retired from the US Navy in 1991 to work for

Denver, Colorado.[6]

Johnson Space Center director

In November 2005, Coats was hired as the 10th director of the Johnson Space Center (JSC).[7] Coats retired from NASA on December 31, 2012.[8]

Physical description

  • Weight: 190 lb (86 kg)
  • Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
  • Hair: Brown
  • Eyes: Blue[9]

References

  1. ^ "NASA Names Former Astronaut New Johnson Center Director" (Press release). NASA. November 7, 2005.
  2. ^ a b "Michael Coats Bio" (PDF). Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "Following Discovery Launch, Shuttle's First Pilot Describes Mission Number 1". Fox News. February 25, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  4. ^ "USNA Notable Graduates: Michael L. Coats". U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  5. ^ Cohen, Don. "Interview With Michael Coats Archived 2007-03-21 at the Wayback Machine". ASK Magazine, Spring 2006. NASA Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership.
  6. ^ Malik, Tariq. "NASA's New Moon Plans: 'Apollo on Steroids'". Space.com. September 19, 2005.
  7. ^ David, Leonard. "EXCLUSIVE: New NASA JSC Chief Michael Coats Talks About the Agency's Future". Space.com. November 16, 2005.
  8. ^ "Ochoa Named Johnson Space Center Director; Coats to Retire". June 5, 2013.
  9. ^ "Michael Coats' physical description". Archived from the original on March 28, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2018.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Coats.
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