Beginning of the end for STS: Last Crew Selected

[Alpha_Geek]

The last shuttle crew has been named. The end of this era in manned spaceflight draws nigh.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/090918-sts133-final-shuttle-crew.html

I hope I can manage to see a launch.

 

[sojourner]

Don't count your shuttles before they're launched.

 

[Mark de Vries]

I found it pretty striking to see that the head of the Astronaut Office selected himself to command the mission

Plus some interesting choices: two of the selected astronauts, Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott are still in orbit. I believe the selection of an astronaut has never happened while that astronaut was flying another mission. Added to that, Tim Kopra has only just returned from his tour on the ISS, so I get the impression that NASA wanted a crew which has fresh, hands-on experience with the station.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

I found it pretty striking to see that the head of the Astronaut Office selected himself to command the mission

He was following Deke Slayton's example with Apollo.

 

[Marc]

I found it pretty striking to see that the head of the Astronaut Office selected himself to command the mission

He was following Deke Slayton's example with Apollo.

R.H.I.P?

Any idea how many astronauts are currently in the program that haven't yet flown or flown recently?

I could imagine it's a bitter pill for some of them that 3 of those selected for STS-133 will have done missions in the previous 12 months (even if their recent ISS experience is the rationale).

 

[Alpha_Geek]

R.H.I.P?

QFT

 

[diankra]

I found it pretty striking to see that the head of the Astronaut Office selected himself to command the mission

He was following Deke Slayton's example with Apollo.

Though he got over-ruled and only got got to be DMP on ASTP
But it's a long standing tradition: Al Shepherd and Deke Slayton chose Shepherd for Apollo 14 (well, Apollo 13, but NASA insisted on pushing Shepherd back one mission for more training... luckily for him). And guess who was Chief Astronaut when John Young was named as commander of STS1? (Clue... his surname wasn't Old).

 

[Mark de Vries]

Any idea how many astronauts are currently in the program that haven't yet flown or flown recently?

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/astrobio.html lists 88 active astronauts, 8 more at what's called the Flight Crew Operations Directorate, and 17 at other NASA organisations (but some of them are very unlikely to ever fly again: Charles Bolden for example).

Of that list the following have yet to fly:
Randolph Bresnik (selected as mission specialist for STS-129)
Yvonne Cagle
Fernando Caldeiro
Timothy Creamer (selected for ISS Expedition 22/23)
James Dutton (selected as pilot for STS-131)
Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenberger (selected as mission specialist for STS-131)
Robert Satcher (selected as mission specilist for STS-129)
Terry Virts (Selected as pilot of STS-130)
Shannon Walker (selected for ISS Expedition 24/25)

So that's only two (Cagle and Caldeiro) who have never flown and have no mission yet to look forward to. Not too bad on this total. At the moment, NASA also has 9 astronauts in training. They were selected earlier this year. Who knows what they get to fly on? Constellation, Soyuz, something else altogether?

 

[Alpha Romeo]

I found it pretty striking to see that the head of the Astronaut Office selected himself to command the mission

Plus some interesting choices: two of the selected astronauts, Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott are still in orbit. I believe the selection of an astronaut has never happened while that astronaut was flying another mission. Added to that, Tim Kopra has only just returned from his tour on the ISS, so I get the impression that NASA wanted a crew which has fresh, hands-on experience with the station.

Not unprecedented. Al Shepard pretty much picked himself as commander of apollo 13 after a long absence due to illness. Thanfully, it was overulled and he was given Apollo 14.

 

[Marc]

I found it pretty striking to see that the head of the Astronaut Office selected himself to command the mission

Plus some interesting choices: two of the selected astronauts, Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott are still in orbit. I believe the selection of an astronaut has never happened while that astronaut was flying another mission. Added to that, Tim Kopra has only just returned from his tour on the ISS, so I get the impression that NASA wanted a crew which has fresh, hands-on experience with the station.

Not unprecedented. Al Shepard pretty much picked himself as commander of apollo 13 after a long absence due to illness. Thanfully, it was overulled and he was given Apollo 14.

Has Shepard ever commented publically on dodging that little bullet?

However I guess with all the training etc that it wouldn't of made any differnce if Shepard had flown on 13 and not Lovell?

 

[SchwEnt]

I found it pretty striking to see that the head of the Astronaut Office selected himself to command the mission

Plus some interesting choices: two of the selected astronauts, Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott are still in orbit. I believe the selection of an astronaut has never happened while that astronaut was flying another mission. Added to that, Tim Kopra has only just returned from his tour on the ISS, so I get the impression that NASA wanted a crew which has fresh, hands-on experience with the station.

Not unprecedented. Al Shepard pretty much picked himself as commander of apollo 13 after a long absence due to illness. Thanfully, it was overulled and he was given Apollo 14.

Has Shepard ever commented publically on dodging that little bullet?

However I guess with all the training etc that it wouldn't of made any differnce if Shepard had flown on 13 and not Lovell?

Well, Shepard died years ago.
And despite training, yeah I think it would have made a big difference between Shepard and Lovell for 13 and 14.

Shepard's only space experience was as first American in space (15 minutes and only sub-orbital).

Lovell had a few Gemini missions under his belt, plus the incredible Apollo 8 mission. He was a veteran, the most experienced astronaut at the time. Couldn't have had a better man in command during the 13 crisis.

 

[diankra]

Not unprecedented. Al Shepard pretty much picked himself as commander of apollo 13 after a long absence due to illness. Thanfully, it was overulled and he was given Apollo 14.

Has Shepard ever commented publically on dodging that little bullet?

However I guess with all the training etc that it wouldn't of made any differnce if Shepard had flown on 13 and not Lovell?

Well, Shepard died years ago.
And despite training, yeah I think it would have made a big difference between Shepard and Lovell for 13 and 14.

Shepard's only space experience was as first American in space (15 minutes and only sub-orbital).

Lovell had a few Gemini missions under his belt, plus the incredible Apollo 8 mission. He was a veteran, the most experienced astronaut at the time. Couldn't have had a better man in command during the 13 crisis.

Yep - in theory, the 'any crew can fly any mission' principle means it shouldn't have made a difference. But just possibly Lovell's experience gave the crew an edge when any edge mattered.
IIRC, there was an back-up line-up check procedure that had to be used on Apollo 13 that Lovell had tested on Apollo 8, and he couldn't believe they were actually going to have to use it when Houston read it up to him.

 

[Squiggy]

(but some of them are very unlikely to ever fly again: Charles Bolden for example)

I'm sure Charlie could fly if it wanted to. Sure, it would be foolish, rude, and highly unethical but I'm sure he could.

 

[Alpha Romeo]

I found it pretty striking to see that the head of the Astronaut Office selected himself to command the mission

Plus some interesting choices: two of the selected astronauts, Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott are still in orbit. I believe the selection of an astronaut has never happened while that astronaut was flying another mission. Added to that, Tim Kopra has only just returned from his tour on the ISS, so I get the impression that NASA wanted a crew which has fresh, hands-on experience with the station.

Not unprecedented. Al Shepard pretty much picked himself as commander of apollo 13 after a long absence due to illness. Thanfully, it was overulled and he was given Apollo 14.

Has Shepard ever commented publically on dodging that little bullet?

However I guess with all the training etc that it wouldn't of made any differnce if Shepard had flown on 13 and not Lovell?

I doubt he ever did. From what I've read he was pretty steamed to have been passed over. The man was lucky to get a lunar landing.