May 30 1980
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(New page: Newspapers reported NASA's selection of 19 astronaut candidates for Space Shuttle training, the second group of pilots and scientists specifically picked for that purpose. Those chosen...)
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Newspapers reported NASA's selection of 19 astronaut candidates for Space Shuttle training, the second group of pilots and scientists specifically picked for that purpose. Those chosen in the 1978 group of 35, including the first women and blacks among civilian astronauts, received astronaut wings at JSC in August 1979. In the new group was Dr. William R Fisher, husband of Dr. Anna Fisher, who was selected two years ago; the Seabrook, Tex., physicians were the first married couple chosen by the United States. The 8 new pilot candidates (one black) and 11 mission specialists (two women and one Hispanic) would, if successful, join the 62 astronauts now on duty with NASA. The Shuttle was scheduled to fly 30 or 40 missions a year with up to seven astronauts on a mission.
Pilot selections were Lt. Col. John E. Blaha, U.S. Air Force; Maj. Charles R. Bolden, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps; Lt. Col. Roy D. Bridges, Jr., U.S. Air Force; Maj. Guy S. Gardner, U.S. Air Force; Maj. Ronald J. Grabe, U.S. Air Force; Maj. Brian D. O’Connor, U.S. Marine Corps; Lt. Cdr. Richard N. Richards, U.S. Navy; and Lt. Cdr. Michael J. Smith, U.S. Navy.
Mission-specialist selections besides Dr. William Fisher were Dr. James P. Baglan, anesthesiologist; Dr. Franklin R. Chang, physicist; Dr. Mary L. Cleave, research engineer; Bonnie J. Dunbar, JSC flight controller; Capt. David C. Hilmers, U.S. Marine Corps; Lt. Cdr. David C. Leestma, U.S. Navy; John M. Lounge, JSC flight controller; Capt. Jerry L. Ross, U.S. Air Force; Maj. Sherwood C. Spring, U.S. Army; and Maj. Robert C. Springer, U.S. Marine Corps. (NY Times, May 30/80, A-11; W Post, May 30/80, A-8; NASA Release 8078; JSC Release 80-038)
MSFC reported successful test firing of the Shuttle main propulsion system May 30 at NSTL. Firing time, 9 minutes 38 seconds, exceeded the duration required to place a Shuttle in orbit. Total test time on the main propulsion system (three engines, external tank, and associated parts of the orbiter) was now 41.3 minutes, in addition to 19 hours of single-engine tests conducted in a separate program. The Shuttle engines were gimbaled (steered) during the test firing, throttled in stages from 100 % of rated thrust down to 65 %. The Shuttle would have the first human-rated engines capable of throttle control during flight. (MSFC Release 80-79)
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