NASA’s First Space Shuttle Astronaut Selection by David J. Shayler & Colin Burgess

Author:David J. Shayler & Colin Burgess
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030457426
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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.

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