Jan 11 2005
From The Space Library
James D. Wetherbee, the only U.S. astronaut to command five Space Shuttle flights, announced his plans to retire from NASA. Wetherbee had participated in six Space Shuttle missions since becoming an astronaut in 1984, serving as pilot aboard Mission STS-32 in 1990 and commanding STS-52 in 1992, STS-63 in 1995, STS-86 in 1997, STS-102 in 2001, and STS-113 in 2002. His missions had included flights both to the Russian Mir space station, including the first Shuttle-Mir rendezvous, and to the ISS. Just before retiring, Wetherbee had worked as Space Shuttle Lead in the Independent Technical Authority at NASA's JSC, a group responsible for identifying and analyzing possible hazards and determining launch readiness. Wetherbee had also served for two years as Director of Flight Crew Operations at JSC and for five years as Deputy Director of JSC. (NASA, “Veteran NASA Space Shuttle Commander Retires,” news release 05-017, 11 January 2005, http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/archives/2005-all-archives.html (accessed 13 August 2009); Associated Press, “Veteran Space Shuttle Commander Retires,” 12 January 2005.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
