Chief of the Astronaut Office
Encyclopedia
The Chief of the Astronaut Office is the most senior leadership position for active astronaut
s at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA). The Chief Astronaut serves as head of the NASA Astronaut Corps
and is the principal advisor to the NASA Administrator on astronaut training and operations.
was named as the first Chief Astronaut. His responsibilities included monitoring the coordination, scheduling, and control of all activities involving NASA astronauts. This included monitoring the development and implementation of effective training programs to assure the flight readiness of available pilot/non-pilot personnel for assignment to crew positions on manned space flights; furnishing pilot evaluations applicable to the design, construction, and operations of spacecraft systems and related equipment; and providing qualitative scientific and engineering observations to facilitate overall mission planning, formulation of feasible operational procedures, and selection and conduct of specific experiments for each flight.
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
s at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
(NASA). The Chief Astronaut serves as head of the NASA Astronaut Corps
NASA Astronaut Corps
The NASA Astronaut Corps is a unit of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration that selects, trains, and provides astronauts as crew members for U.S. and international space missions.-History:...
and is the principal advisor to the NASA Administrator on astronaut training and operations.
History
The position was created in November 1963 when Alan ShepardAlan Shepard
Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, flag officer, and NASA astronaut who in 1961 became the second person, and the first American, in space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit...
was named as the first Chief Astronaut. His responsibilities included monitoring the coordination, scheduling, and control of all activities involving NASA astronauts. This included monitoring the development and implementation of effective training programs to assure the flight readiness of available pilot/non-pilot personnel for assignment to crew positions on manned space flights; furnishing pilot evaluations applicable to the design, construction, and operations of spacecraft systems and related equipment; and providing qualitative scientific and engineering observations to facilitate overall mission planning, formulation of feasible operational procedures, and selection and conduct of specific experiments for each flight.
List of Chief Astronauts
- Deke SlaytonDeke SlaytonDonald Kent Slayton , better known as Deke Slayton, was an American World War II pilot and later, one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts....
(September 1, 1962 - November 1963) - Alan ShepardAlan ShepardAlan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, flag officer, and NASA astronaut who in 1961 became the second person, and the first American, in space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit...
(November 1963 - July 1969) - Tom StaffordThomas Patten StaffordThomas Patten Stafford is a retired American Air Force lieutenant general and former NASA astronaut. He flew aboard two Gemini space flights; and in 1969 was the commander of Apollo 10, the second manned mission to orbit the Moon and the first to fly a lunar module there.In 1975, Stafford was...
(July 1969 - June 1971) (Stafford held the position while Shepard prepared for and flew Apollo 14Apollo 14Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the American Apollo program, and the third to land on the Moon. It was the last of the "H missions", targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs, or moonwalks....
) - Alan ShepardAlan ShepardAlan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, flag officer, and NASA astronaut who in 1961 became the second person, and the first American, in space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit...
(June 1971 - August 1, 1974) - John Young (January 14, 1974 - April 15, 1987), Deputy was Paul J. WeitzPaul J. WeitzPaul Joseph Weitz is an American former astronaut who flew in space twice.-Personal data:Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 25, 1932. Married to the former Suzanne M. Berry of Harborcreek, Pennsylvania. Two children: Matthew and Cynthia. Hunting and fishing are among his hobbies. His mother, Mrs...
. Acting Chief during STS-1 training was Alan BeanAlan BeanAlan LaVern Bean is a former NASA astronaut, engineer, and painter. Bean was selected to become an astronaut by NASA in 1963 as part of Astronaut Group 3. He made his first flight into space aboard Apollo 12, the second manned mission to land on the Moon, at the age of thirty-seven years in...
.http://www.barberusa.com/Alan-Bean - Dan Brandenstein (April 27, 1987 - October 1992), Deputy was Steven HawleySteven HawleySteven Alan Hawley is a former NASA astronaut who flew on five spaceflights.-Personal data:Born December 12, 1951, in Ottawa, Kansas, but considers Salina, Kansas, to be his hometown. Currently married to the former Eileen M. Keegan of Redondo Beach, California, a public affairs officer at NASA...
. - Robert GibsonRobert L. GibsonRobert Lee "Hoot" Gibson is a retired Captain and Naval Aviator in the United States Navy and a retired NASA astronaut.-Personal:...
(December 8, 1992 - September 6, 1994), Deputy was Linda Godwin. - Robert Cabana (September 6, 1994 - October 1997), Deputy was Linda Godwin.
- Kenneth CockrellKenneth CockrellKenneth Dale "Taco" Cockrell is an American astronaut and a veteran of five space shuttle missions.Cockrell was born in Austin, Texas to Buford Dale Cockrell and Jewell Moorman. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972 and received his...
(October 1997 - October 1998) - Charles Precourt (October 1998 - November 2002), Deputy was Kent Rominger.
- Kent RomingerKent RomingerKent Vernon "Rommel" Rominger is a former American astronaut, former Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office at Johnson Space Center, and a Captain in the United States Navy. He joined ATK Launch Systems Group in 2006 as Vice President of Advanced Programs.- History :Kent Rominger was born in Del...
(November 2002 - September 2006), Deputies were Andy ThomasAndy ThomasAndrew "Andy" Sydney Withiel Thomas is an Australian-born American aerospace engineer and a NASA astronaut. He became a U.S. citizen in December 1986, hoping to gain entry to NASA's astronaut program...
and Peggy WhitsonPeggy WhitsonPeggy Annette Whitson is an American biochemistry researcher, NASA astronaut, and NASA's Chief Astronaut. Her first space mission was in 2002, with an extended stay aboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 5. Her second mission launched October 10, 2007, as the first female...
. - Steven W. LindseySteven W. LindseySteven Wayne Lindsey is an American Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut. Lindsey served as Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office from September 2006 until October 2009....
(September 2006 - October 2009), Deputies were Janet Kavandi and Sunita WilliamsSunita WilliamsSunita Williams is a United States Naval officer and a NASA astronaut. She was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and then joined Expedition 15...
(February 2008 to October 2009). - Peggy WhitsonPeggy WhitsonPeggy Annette Whitson is an American biochemistry researcher, NASA astronaut, and NASA's Chief Astronaut. Her first space mission was in 2002, with an extended stay aboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 5. Her second mission launched October 10, 2007, as the first female...
(October 2009–present) Steven Lindsey handed the position over to Whitson to begin training for STS-133STS-133STS-133 was the 133rd mission in NASA's Space Shuttle program; during the mission, Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station. It was Discoverys 39th and final mission. The mission launched on 24 February 2011, and landed on 9 March 2011...
.http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=12C9CB53DCEC1938&p_docnum=1 Deputy is Rick Sturckow.http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/feb/HQ_11-036_Kelly_Returns.html