NASA Astronaut Group 12

NASA's Astronaut Group 12 (the GAFFers) was announced by NASA on 5 June 1987.

Pilots

Andrew M. Allen RETIRED[1]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-46[1] Atlantis Pilot
STS-62[1] Columbia Pilot
STS-75[1] Columbia Commander
Kenneth D. Bowersox RETIRED[2]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-50[2] Columbia Pilot
STS-61[2] Endeavour Pilot
STS-73[2] Columbia Commander
STS-82[2] Discovery Commander
STS-113[2]
ISS Expedition 6[2]		 Endeavour
Soyuz TMA-1		 Mission Specialist 3
ISS Commander
Curtis L. Brown, Jr. RETIRED[3]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-47[3] Endeavour Pilot
STS-66[3] Atlantis Pilot
STS-77[3] Endeavour Pilot
STS-85[3] Discovery Commander
STS-95[3] Discovery Commander
STS-103[3] Discovery Commander
Kevin P. Chilton RETIRED,[4] but still in USAF
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-49[4] Endeavour Pilot
STS-59[4] Endeavour Pilot
STS-76[4] Atlantis Commander
Donald R. McMonagle RETIRED[5]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-39[5] Discovery Mission Specialist 4
STS-54[5] Endeavour Pilot
STS-66[5] Atlantis Commander
William F. Readdy RETIRED[6]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-42[6] Discovery Mission Specialist 3
STS-51[6] Discovery Pilot
STS-79[6] Atlantis Commander
Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr. RETIRED[7]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-48[7] Discovery Pilot
STS-60[7] Discovery Pilot

Mission specialists

Thomas D. Akers RETIRED[8]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-41[8] Discovery Mission Specialist 3
STS-49[8] Endeavour Mission Specialist 4
STS-61[8] Endeavour Mission Specialist 5
STS-79[8] Atlantis Mission Specialist 1
N. Jan Davis RETIRED[9]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-47[9] Endeavour Mission Specialist 2
STS-60[9] Discovery Mission Specialist 1
STS-85[9] Discovery Payload Commander
C. Michael Foale ACTIVE[10]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-45[10] Atlantis Mission Specialist 3
STS-56[10] Discovery Mission Specialist 1
STS-63[10] Discovery Mission Specialist 1
STS-84[10]
Mir-NASA 5[10]
STS-86[10]		 Atlantis
Soyuz TM-25/26
Atlantis		 Mission Specialist 5

Mission Specialist 5
ISS Expedition 8[10] Soyuz TMA-3 ISS Commander
Gregory J. Harbaugh RETIRED[11]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-39[11] Discovery Mission Specialist 2
STS-54[11] Endeavour Mission Specialist 2
STS-71[11] Atlantis Mission Specialist 1
STS-82[11] Discovery Mission Specialist 3
Mae C. Jemison RETIRED[12]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-47[12] Endeavour Mission Specialist 4
Bruce E. Melnick RETIRED[13]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-41[13] Discovery Mission Specialist 2
STS-49[13] Endeavour Mission Specialist 5
Mario Runco, Jr. ACTIVE[14]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-44[14] Atlantis Mission Specialist 2
STS-54[14] Endeavour Mission Specialist 1
STS-77[14] Endeavour Mission Specialist 3
James S. Voss RETIRED[15]
Mission OV/Soyuz Role
STS-44[15] Atlantis Mission Specialist 3
STS-53[15] Discovery Mission Specialist 2
STS-69[15] Endeavour Mission Specialist 1
STS-101[15] Atlantis Mission Specialist 3
STS-102[15]
Expedition 2[15]
STS-105[15]		 Discovery
Soyuz TM-32
Discovery		 Mission Specialist 4
Flight Engineer 2
Mission Specialist 4

Further information

The group's informal nickname is an acronym for "George Abbey Final Fifteen". Of this group, Mae Jemison would become the first female African-American in space, while Michael Foale would fly aboard the Mir space station. At the time of the Columbia accident in 2003, William Readdy was Associate Administrator for Space Flight and Kenneth Bowersox was commanding the Expedition 6 crew on the ISS. Chilton, after leaving NASA, became the first NASA astronaut to become a General in the U.S. Air Force (Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford, USAF, and VADM Richard Truly, USN were three-star officers) and is currently the commander of U.S. Strategic Command.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (September 2004). "Astronaut Bio: Andrew Allen (9/2004)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (October 2006). "Astronaut Bio: Ken Bowersox (10/2006)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (July 2007). "Astronaut Bio: C. Brown (7/2007)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (March 2008). "Astronaut Bio: Kevin Chilton (3/2008)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 1998). "Astronaut Bio: Donald R. McMongale (8/1998)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (January 2006). "Astronaut Bio: William F. Readdy (1/2006)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 2008). "Astronaut Bio: K.S. Reightler (8/2008)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (June 2000). "Astronaut Bio: T. Akers (6/2000)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (January 2006). "Astronaut Bio: N. Jan Davis (1/2006)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (January 2008). "Astronaut Bio: C. Michael Foale (1/2008)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (April 2001). "Astronaut Bio: G. Harbaugh (4/2001)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (March 1993). "Astronaut Bio: Mae C. Jemison (3/1993)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (March 2004). "Astronaut Bio: Bruce E. Melnick (3/2004)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (January 2008). "Astronaut Bio: Mario Runco (1/2008)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (October 2005). "Astronaut Bio: James S. Voss (10/2005)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.

External links