NASA Astronaut Group 6
XS-11 (The Excess Eleven) | |
---|---|
Year selected | 1967 |
Number selected | 11 |
NASA Astronaut Group 6 (the "XS-11", "Excess Eleven") was a group of eleven astronauts announced by NASA on August 11, 1967, the second group of scientist-astronauts. Although Director of Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton planned to hire 20 to 30 new scientist-astronauts, he did not expect any to fly because of a surplus of astronauts amid the looming dearth of post-Apollo program funding, exemplified by the concomitant devolution of the Apollo Applications Program into the Skylab Program. NASA found that only 11 of the 923 applicants were qualified, and hired all.
When the group reported to the
The group would be the last group selected by NASA for over a decade. The seven members who stayed with NASA after the Apollo Program ended went on to form the core of early Space Shuttle mission specialists, accomplishing a total of 15 flights between 1982 and 1996.
Background
By 1966, NASA had formulated ambitious plans for the Apollo Applications Program (AAP) that would follow the Apollo program. These called for Apollo hardware to be used to create space stations in Earth and lunar orbit, the development of a Space Shuttle to service them, and further visits to the Moon, as many as six a year, leading to the establishment of permanent bases there. Plans called for no less than 45 crewed missions, utilizing 19 Saturn V and 26 Saturn IB rockets. There would be three orbital workshops, three orbital laboratories and four Apollo Telescope Mounts. The first AAP launch was expected to occur as early as April 1968 if the Moon landing went well. Each orbital laboratory was expected to be visited by two or three crews.[1][2][3]
Slayton estimated that he would need 24 astronauts to fly the scheduled Apollo missions, and he had 31 on hand from the selections conducted in 1959, 1962, 1963 and 1965. This was barely sufficient for Apollo, but not enough to allow AAP missions to be flown at the same time. While Slayton and other NASA officials held private doubts about whether AAP would be approved and flown as planned, it was important that it would not be delayed or sidetracked by a shortage of astronauts. To carry out the program, nineteen pilot astronauts were selected in 1966. NASA also decided to augment the scientist astronauts selected in 1965 with a second intake.[1][4]
Selection
NASA issued a call for applications for scientist astronauts on September 26, 1966.
An early Apollo mission will place an astronaut on the surface of the Moon to observe first hand both a wholly new environment and unknown phenomena. Subsequent flights may provide the opportunity to carry out long-term studies from manned orbiting laboratories above the Earth's atmosphere in astronomy, solar physics, magnetic fields and energetic particles; or, viewing the Earth from space, in meteorology, oceanography and geology. Release from the Earth's gravity will permit biologists and physicians to conduct sophisticated experimentation on the nature and properties of fundamental biological processes. A vast scientific frontier will be thus opened to exploration by competent scientists. The observations will provide the world with new facts and hypotheses in the study of the solar system and life.[5]
Key selection criteria were the same as for the 1965 intake. Candidates had to:
- Be a United States citizen, or become one by March 15, 1967;
- Born on or after August 1, 1930;
- 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) or less in height;
- With a doctorate in the natural sciences, medicine or engineering, or the equivalent; and
- Meet the physical requirement for pilots.[5]
The announcement said that exceptions might be made for outstanding candidates,[5] but height requirement was firm, an artifact of the size of the Apollo spacecraft.[7] Applicants had to provide supporting documentation in the form of academic transcripts, multiple references, a research bibliography and medical history.[6] The deadline for applications was midnight, January 8, 1967.[5] It was expected that between twenty and thirty astronauts would be selected.[6]
By the deadline, 923 applications had been received. The NAS selection panel then went through them, and forwarded 69 on to NASA for consideration. For these candidates, background and security checks were conducted by the
Interviews were conducted at the
The group were demographically similar to previous astronaut groups: all were male and white, and all were married, seven with children. Two were born outside the United States.
Group members
Image | Name | Born | Died | Career | ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joseph P. Allen IV | Crawfordsville, Indiana June 27, 1937 |
Allen received a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and physics from DePauw University in 1959, and Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy degrees in physics from Yale University in 1961 and 1965 respectively. From August 1975 to 1978, Allen served as NASA Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs in Washington, D.C. Returning to the Johnson Space Center in 1978, as a senior scientist astronaut, Allen was assigned to the Operations Mission Development Group. He served as a support crew member for the first orbital flight test of the Space Shuttle (Columbia) in April 1981 and was the CAPCOM during the reentry phase for this mission. In 1980 and 1981, he worked as the technical assistant to the director of flight operations. He flew in space as a mission specialist on the STS-5 Columbia mission in November 1982 and the STS-51-A Discovery in November 1984. He logged a total of 314 hours in space. He left NASA in 1985. | [13][14] | ||
Philip K. Chapman | Melbourne, Australia March 5, 1935 |
April 5, 2021 | Chapman earned a Australian American to be selected as an astronaut.
|
[15][16] | |
Anthony W. England | Indianapolis, Indiana May 15, 1942 |
England received U.S. Geological Survey in 1972 before rejoining NASA in 1979, and flew in space as a mission specialist on STS-51-F Challenger in the July 1985 Spacelab mission. From May 1986 to May 1987, he served as a program scientist for Space Station Freedom (which evolved into the International Space Station). From June 1987 to December 1987, he taught remote sensing geophysics at Rice University . He retired from NASA in 1988.
|
[17] | ||
Karl G. Henize
|
Cincinnati, Ohio October 17, 1926 |
October 5, 1993 | Henize entered the high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) during an ascent of Mount Everest .
|
[18][19] | |
Donald L. Holmquest | Dallas, Texas April 7, 1939 |
Holmquest received a B.S. in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University in 1962, and Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in physiology from Baylor College of Medicine in 1967 and 1968, respectively, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston in 1988. He completed initial training and work on Skylab habitability systems and medical experiments, but left NASA in September 1973 following two extended leaves (encompassing post-doctoral training in nuclear medicine at Baylor University) due to lack of spaceflight opportunities. | [20] | ||
William B. Lenoir | Miami, Florida March 14, 1939 |
August 26, 2010 | Lenoir received a electrical engineering and computer science in 1965. He flew in space as a mission specialist on STS-5 Columbia in November 1982. He resigned from NASA in September 1984 to assume a position with the management and technology consulting firm of Booz, Allen & Hamilton , but returned in June 1989 as the Associate Administrator for Space Flight, responsible for the development, operating and implementation of the necessary policy for the Space Shuttle and all U.S. government civil launch activities. He resigned from NASA in April 1992.
|
[21] | |
J. Anthony Llewellyn | Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom April 22, 1933 |
July 2, 2013 | Llewellyn received his University College, Cardiff , in 1955 and 1958 respectively. He dropped out of flight school and resigned from NASA in September 1968.
|
[22] | |
F. Story Musgrave | Stockbridge, Massachusetts August 19, 1935 |
Musgrave joined the extra-vehicular activity equipment, including spacesuits, life support systems, airlocks and Manned Maneuvering Units. From 1979 to 1982, and 1983 to 1984, he was a test and verification pilot in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center. He flew in space six times: as mission specialist on the STS-6 Challenger mission in April 1983, STS-51-F Challenger Spacelab mission in July 1985, STS-33 Discovery mission in November 1989, STS-44 Atlantis mission in November 1991, STS-61 Endeavour Hubble Space Telescope Servicing mission as payload commander in December 1993, and the STS-80 Columbia mission in November 1996. He is the only astronaut to have flown on all five Space Shuttles. He retired from NASA in 1997.
|
[23] | ||
Brian T. O'Leary | Boston, Massachusetts January 27, 1940 |
July 28, 2011 | O'Leary received a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from Williams College in 1961, a Master of Arts in astronomy from Georgetown University in 1964, and a Doctor of Philosophy in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1967. He resigned from NASA in April 1968 due to objections to flight training hazards. | [24] | |
Robert A. R. Parker
|
New York City December 14, 1936 |
Parker received a Bachelor of Arts degree in astronomy and physics from Amherst College in 1958, and a Doctor of Philosophy in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology in 1962. He flew in space as a mission specialist on two Spacelab missions, the STS-9 Columbia mission in November 1983 and the STS-35 Columbia mission in December 1990. He was director of the Division of Policy and Plans for the Office of Space Flight at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. from January 1991 to December 1991, director of the Spacelab and Operations Program from January 1992 to November 1993, manager of the Space Operations Utilization Program from December 1993 to August 1997, and director of the NASA Management Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, from August 1997 to August 2005. He retired from NASA on August 31, 2005. | [25] | ||
William E. Thornton | Faison, North Carolina April 14, 1929 |
January 11, 2021 | Thornton received a San Antonio, Texas, and then returned to active duty with the United States Air Force, and was assigned to the USAF Aerospace Medical Division at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, where he completed the Primary Flight Surgeon's training in 1964. He flew in space as a mission specialist on the STS-8 Challenger mission in August 1983 and the STS-51-B Challenger Spacelab mission in April 1985. He resigned from NASA effective May 31, 1994.
|
[26][27] |
Training
While their selection process had been going on, NASA's budget for fiscal year 1968 had been cut. President Lyndon B. Johnson had proposed that NASA's budget be increased to $5.1 billion, of which $455 million was for the AAP, but Congress was not receptive. The Apollo 1 fire on January 27, 1967, had shaken its faith in NASA, and the cost of the Vietnam War was inexorably rising. NASA's appropriation was cut to $4.59 billion, with AAP receiving only $122 million.[3] When the eleven new astronauts reported for duty on September 18, 1967, they were met by Shepard and Slayton. In his welcome address to the newcomers, Slayton was blunt:
I might as well warn you troops that you won't be seeing any action for quite some time. We've been receiving word from Washington that the budget in the post-Apollo Program will be severely cut again next year and many flights will have to be postponed or scrapped. And it looks like things aren't going to get any better for a long time. Although we'd like to put all of you into space some time, we can't guarantee it, so you may as well face the prospect of long delays and perhaps no flights. We don't need you around here, at least for the time being. I'm saying this just so you'd understand. So bearing this in mind, any of you who feels like he doesn't want to hack this can walk out of the room right now. You'll be a free man and there'll be no misgivings either way.[28]
The new astronaut group started calling themselves the Excess Eleven or XS-11.
The next phase of their training was flight training. Only Chapman had a private pilot's license, and of the rest only Musgrave had flown a plane before. None had flown jets. While the Excess Eleven had hoped that it would be possible for them to undergo it together, this was considered impractical, as the US Air Force's training facilities were stretched by the needs of the war in Vietnam. Instead they were sent to several different flight schools in Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas.[31] Training commenced with six weeks in the piston engine Cessna T-41 Mescalero, then moved on to twenty in the subsonic jet Cessna T-37 Tweet, and finally to twenty-seven weeks in the Northrop T-38 Talon, the aircraft they would be flying for NASA.[32] By this time four astronauts had been killed in accidents involving the T-38.[33]
About a third of each flight school class flunked, were dropped because they developed a fear of flying, or quit, usually because they discovered that they did not like flying.
The final phase of their astronaut training involved
Operations
After completing their training, the XS-11 were divided between Apollo and AAP, with Allen, Chapman, England, Henize and Parker assigned to Apollo. A new role, the mission scientist, was created as an interface between the crew and the scientific community, as scientific aspects became more important with the later Apollo missions. The first so designated was England on Apollo 13, although owing to the abort of the mission, he was not called upon to perform the role. Starting with Apollo 14, the mission scientist was part of the support crew. Chapman served in the role on Apollo 14, Allen on Apollo 15, England on Apollo 16 and Parker on Apollo 17. In addition Henize and Parker also served on the Apollo 15 support crew, and Chapman on that of Apollo 16.[38][39]
Holmquest, Lenoir, Musgrave and Thornton were assigned to Skylab, as AAP was renamed on February 17, 1970.[40] Musgrave (who cultivated a notable passion for flying, eventually accumulating over 17,700 hours in 160 different types of civilian and military aircraft)[23] and Lenoir were the first members of the group to secure potential flight assignments as backup Science Pilots in the Skylab Program.[41] However, Skylab B was canceled and Skylab A abandoned in place after only three missions were flown.[42]
Chapman and Holmquest left the program in July 1972 due to the paucity of flight opportunities.
The seven remaining members of the Excess Eleven all went on to fly at least one Space Shuttle mission. Allen was the first, flying on
Notes
- ^ a b Slayton & Cassutt 1994, pp. 171–172, 201–202.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 18, 117–118.
- ^ WIRED. Archivedfrom the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, p. 18.
- ^ a b c d e "Scientists Invited to Become Astronauts, Do Research in Space" (PDF) (Press release). NASA. September 22, 1966. 66-70. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 117–118.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 36–37.
- ^ a b Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 118–120.
- ^ O'Leary 1970, p. 50.
- ^ a b "Eleven New Scientists to Join MSC Pilots" (PDF). NASA Roundup. Vol. 6, no. 22. NASA. August 18, 1967. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ Slayton & Cassutt 1994, p. 203.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, p. 121.
- ^ "Joe Allen '59 Enters US Astronaut Hall of Fame". DePauw University News. May 1, 2005. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: Joseph P. Allen" (PDF). NASA. December 1993. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "Astronaut Bio: Philip K. Chapman" (PDF). NASA. December 1975. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Philip Chapman, first Australian-born NASA astronaut, dies at 86". collectSPACE. April 7, 2021. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Astronaut Bio: Anthony W. England" (PDF). NASA. August 1999. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: Karl G. Henize" (PDF). NASA. March 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, p. 513.
- ^ a b "Astronaut Bio: Donald L. Holmquest" (PDF). NASA. January 1995. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: William B. Lenoir" (PDF). NASA. August 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: John Anthony Llewellyn" (PDF). NASA. September 1968. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "Astronaut Bio: Story Musgrave" (PDF). NASA. August 1997. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: Brian T. O'Leary" (PDF). NASA. August 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: Robert Allan Ridley Parker" (PDF). NASA. December 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: William Edgar Thornton" (PDF). NASA. August 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Astronaut William Thornton, who invented space shuttle treadmill, dies at 91". collectSPACE. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ^ O'Leary 1970, pp. 80–81.
- ^ O'Leary 1970, p. 82.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 171–173.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 181–182.
- ^ O'Leary 1970, pp. 184–185.
- ^ O'Leary 1970, p. 162.
- ^ O'Leary 1970, p. 190.
- ^ a b Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 182–185.
- ^ O'Leary 1970, pp. 198–199.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 185–188.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 210–212.
- ^ Orloff 2000, p. 271.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 252–253.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 256–257.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 279–281.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 332–334.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 328–329.
- ^ Shayler & Burgess 2007, pp. 506–509.
References
- OCLC 500293846.
- Orloff, Richard W. (2000). Apollo by the Numbers: A Statistical Reference (PDF). NASA History Series. Washington, DC: NASA. OCLC 44775012. SP-2000-4029. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- Shayler, David J.; OCLC 1058309996.
- OCLC 937566894.