Rusty Schweickart

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**Russell Louis "Rusty" Schweickart**
Astronaut

Nationality	American
Born	October 25, 1935 Neptune, New Jersey
Occupation¹	Scientist
Space time	10d 01h 00m
Selection	1963 NASA Group
Mission(s)	Apollo 9
Mission insignia
¹ previous or current

Russell Louis "Rusty" Schweickart (born October 25, 1935) is an American astronaut. Schweickart was born in Neptune, New Jersey. He earned an S.B. and an S.M. in Aeronautics/Astronautics from MIT in 1956 and 1963 respectively. [1]

[edit] Astronaut experience

Schweickart became an astronaut in October of 1963. He has spent over 241 hours in space on one spaceflight. In 1969, Schweickart served on the Apollo 9 mission during which he piloted the lunar module. This was the first manned test of the Apollo lunar module as well as the first broadcast of music from space. Schweickart was also due to perform an EVA, the first of the Apollo Programme that would test the Portable Life Support System that would be used to walk on the Moon.

Schweickart began to suffer from space sickness on the first day in orbit forcing the postponement of the EVA. Schweickart's condition was made worse as the mission Commander James McDivitt did not report it to Mission Control (the flight surgeon could have advised Schweikart on ways of limiting the effects). Eventually Schweickart improved and completed the EVA standing on the Lunar Module and provided an evocative description of the earth.

The space sickness contributed to Schweickart being sidelined for further Apollo missions and he concentrated on the Skylab programme.

Schweickart was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 1973.

Rusty Schweickart has spoken and taught at the Esalen Institute. Schweickart is also cofounder of the B612 Foundation, a group that aims to defend Earth from asteroid impacts.

In the 1998 miniseries From the Earth to the Moon Schweickart was played by Kieran Mulroney.

In May 2005 Rusty Schweickart told the U.S. Congress that a mission to attach a device such as a radio transponder to asteroid 99942 Apophis (formerly known as 2004 MN4) should be a high priority; it is estimated that this asteroid has a 1 in 6000 probability of striking the earth in the 21^st century[2]. The latest data indicates that the chance of Apophis impacting the earth is 1 in 45,000 in 2036.

[edit] Trivia

In the liner notes of his 1982 album Missa Gaia/Earth Mass, Paul Winter credits Schweickart with bringing to his attention Robert A. Heinlein's short story The Green Hills of Earth, in which a blind space poet's ode to home speaks of "the cool green hills of Earth." This line was later echoed in Winter's The Blue Green Hills of Earth on the album, said additionally to be inspired by Schweickart's view from orbit.