NASA Astronaut Group 12

NASA Astronaut Group 12 (the GAFFers) was a group of 15 astronauts announced by NASA on June 5, 1987.

The GAFFers
The Astronauts of Group 12
Year selected1987
Number selected15

Group members

Pilots

STS-46 Atlantis - July 1992 - Pilot
STS-62 Columbia - March 1994 - Pilot
STS-75 Columbia - February 1996 - Commander
  • Kenneth D. Bowersox (born 1956), U.S. Navy (5 flights)[2]
STS-50 Columbia - June 1992 - Pilot
STS-61 Endeavour - December 1993 - Pilot
STS-73 Columbia - October 1995 - Commander
STS-82 Discovery - February 1997 - Commander
STS-113 Endeavour - November 2002 - Mission Specialist 3 (launched only)
ISS Expedition 6 - November 2002–May 2003 - ISS Commander
Soyuz TMA-1 - May 2003 - Flight Engineer (landed only)
STS-47 Endeavour - September 1992 - Pilot
STS-66 Atlantis - November 1994 - Pilot
STS-77 Endeavour - May 1996 - Pilot
STS-85 Discovery - August 1997 - Commander
STS-95 Discovery - October 1998 - Commander
STS-103 Discovery - December 1999 - Commander
STS-49 Endeavour - May 1992 - Pilot
STS-59 Endeavour - April 1994 - Pilot
STS-76 Atlantis - March 1996 - Commander
STS-39 Discovery - April 1991 - Mission Specialist 4
STS-54 Endeavour - January 1993 - Pilot
STS-66 Atlantis - November 1994 - Commander
STS-42 Discovery - January 1992 - Mission Specialist 3
STS-51 Discovery - September 1993 - Pilot
STS-79 Atlantis - September 1996 - Commander
  • Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr. (born 1951), U.S. Navy (2 flights)[7]
STS-48 Discovery - September 1991 - Pilot
STS-60 Discovery - February 1994 - Pilot

Mission specialists

STS-41 Discovery - October 1990 - Mission Specialist 3
STS-49 Endeavour - May 1992 - Mission Specialist 4
STS-61 Endeavour - December 1993 - Mission Specialist 5
STS-79 Atlantis - September 1996 - Mission Specialist 1
STS-47 Endeavour - September 1992 - Mission Specialist 2
STS-60 Discovery - February 1994 - Mission Specialist 1
STS-85 Discovery - August 1997 - Payload Commander
STS-45 Atlantis - March 1992 - Mission Specialist 3
STS-56 Discovery - April 1993 - Mission Specialist 1
STS-63 Discovery - February 1995 - Mission Specialist 1
STS-84 Atlantis - May 1997 - Mission Specialist 5 (launched only)
Mir EO-23/Mir EO-24 - May 1997–October 1997 - Flight Engineer 2
STS-86 Atlantis - October 1997 - Mission Specialist 5 (landed only)
STS-103 Discovery - December 1999 - Mission Specialist 3
Soyuz TMA-3 - October 2003–April 2004 - Flight Engineer
ISS Expedition 8 - October 2003–April 2004 - ISS Commander
STS-39 Discovery - April 1991 - Mission Specialist 2
STS-54 Endeavour - January 1993 - Mission Specialist 2
STS-71 Atlantis - June 1995 - Mission Specialist 1
STS-82 Discovery - February 1997 - Mission Specialist 3
STS-47 Endeavour - September 1992 - Mission Specialist 4
STS-41 Discovery - October 1990 - Mission Specialist 1
STS-49 Endeavour - May 1992 - Mission Specialist 2
  • Mario Runco, Jr. (born 1952), U.S. Navy (3 flights)[14]
STS-44 Atlantis - November 1991 - Mission Specialist 2
STS-54 Endeavour - January 1993 - Mission Specialist 1
STS-77 Endeavour - May 1996 - Mission Specialist 3
STS-44 Atlantis - November 1991 - Mission Specialist 3
STS-53 Discovery - December 1992 - Mission Specialist 2
STS-69 Endeavour - September 1995 - Mission Specialist 1
STS-101 Atlantis - May 2000 - Mission Specialist 3
STS-102 Discovery - March 2001 - Mission Specialist 4 (launched only)
ISS Expedition 2 - March 2001–August 2001 - Flight Engineer 2
STS-105 Discovery - August 2001 - Mission Specialist 4 (landed only)

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, Bruce Melnick the first Coast Guard aviator 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 was commander of U.S. Strategic Command from October 2007 until January 2011.

See also

References

  1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (September 2004). "Astronaut Bio: Andrew Allen (9/2004)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (October 2006). "Astronaut Bio: Ken Bowersox (10/2006)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  3. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (July 2007). "Astronaut Bio: C. Brown (7/2007)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  4. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (March 2008). "Astronaut Bio: Kevin Chilton (3/2008)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  5. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 1998). "Astronaut Bio: Donald R. McMongale (8/1998)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  6. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (January 2006). "Astronaut Bio: William F. Readdy (1/2006)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  7. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (August 2008). "Astronaut Bio: K.S. Reightler (8/2008)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  8. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (June 2000). "Astronaut Bio: T. Akers (6/2000)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  9. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (January 2006). "Astronaut Bio: N. Jan Davis (1/2006)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  10. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (January 2008). "Astronaut Bio: C. Michael Foale (1/2008)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  11. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (April 2001). "Astronaut Bio: G. Harbaugh (4/2001)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  12. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (March 1993). "Astronaut Bio: Mae C. Jemison (3/1993)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  13. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (March 2004). "Astronaut Bio: Bruce E. Melnick (3/2004)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  14. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (January 2008). "Astronaut Bio: Mario Runco (1/2008)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  15. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (October 2005). "Astronaut Bio: James S. Voss (10/2005)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
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