Sherwood C. Spring

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Sherwood Spring
NASA astronaut
RankColonel, USA
Time in space
6d 21h 4m
SelectionNASA Group 9 (1980)
Total EVAs
2
Total EVA time
12h 14m[1]
MissionsSTS-61-B
Mission insignia

Sherwood Clark Spring (born September 3, 1944) is a retired

spacewalks. Spring has also accumulated 3,500 hours in 25 different military and civilian aircraft; over 1,500 of those hours were spent in jet aircraft.[2]

Personal life

Spring was active in the

Life Scout.[3] Spring met his future wife, Debbie Cooper (an elementary school physical education teacher), while they were both students at the University of Arizona.[4]

Spring's son, Justin, was a member of the 2008 US Olympic Men's Gymnastics team that earned bronze in Beijing, was the men's gymnastics head coach at the University of Illinois for 12 seasons and currently an assistant coach at the University of Alabama.

Education

Graduated from

Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona in 1974. Graduated from the United States Naval Test Pilot School
in 1976 and the Defense Systems Management College in 1989.

Organizations

Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Association of the United States Army, Association of Space Explorers (ASE), and a lifetime member of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy.

Special honors

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medals, and NASA Space Flight Medal. Recipient in 1986 of two honorary doctorate degrees: a Doctor of Science,[5] and one Doctor of Humane Letters.[2] In 1989, Spring was recipient of a second honorary Doctor of Science degree.[6]

Recipient of the Victor A. Prather Award in 1985 for performance during an EVA.

Experience

After graduation from West Point in 1967, Spring served two tours of duty in

NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. He then returned to the army's Flight Test Facility at Edwards AFB to complete four years as an experimental test pilot.[2]

He has military and civilian experience in 25 types of airplanes and helicopters and has logged more than 3,500 hours flying time—including over 1,500 hours in jet aircraft.[2]

NASA career

Spring was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. His technical assignments have included software verification at the

Tiger Team for accident investigation, then led the Astronaut Office EVA (Extra Vehicle Activity) program until 1988.[2]

Post-NASA career

Following his retirement from NASA in August 1988, Spring spent the next five years directing the Army Space Program Office in

San Diego, California
.

External links

References

  1. ^ "Sherwood C. Spring - EVA experience".
  2. ^
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    .
  3. ^ "Astronauts and the BSA". Fact sheet. Boy Scouts of America. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2006.
  4. ^ Opinion by Greg Hansen : Trials in Omaha have Tucson feel
  5. ^ "Spring, Sherwood C. "Woody"". Bryant Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients. Bryant University. 1986. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  6. ^ "Rhode Island College Honorary Degree Recipients List" (PDF). Rhode Island College. Retrieved January 29, 2023. Doctor of Science 1989
  7. ^ Malmad, David (January 1, 2022). "Speaker Briefing: Colonel Sherwood 'Woody' Spring, USA (Ret)". Grampaw Pettibone Squadron. Retrieved January 31, 2023.