Astronaut Jerry Ross, First Seven-Time Flier, Retires

RELEASE
:
12-033
Astronaut Jerry Ross, First Seven-Time Flier, Retires
HOUSTON — Jerry Ross, the first person to launch into space seven times, has retired from NASA. In a career that spanned more than three decades, Ross spent almost 1,400 hours in space and conducted nine spacewalks to rank third on the list of most extravehicular activity time in space.

“Jerry has been instrumental in the success of many of NASA’s human spaceflight missions and numerous spacewalks,” said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office. “Not only were his skills and operational excellence key in major spaceflight activities but his expertise and vigilance also helped all those who followed in his footsteps. We are the better for his years of dedication to the corps and NASA.”

Ross joined NASA in 1979 as a payload officer and flight controller. In 1980, he was selected as an astronaut. He and Franklin Chang-Diaz are the only two astronauts to have flown into space seven times. In addition to Ross’ spaceflight mission accomplishments, he went on to serve NASA in the critical role of managing the Vehicle Integration Test Office.

“Jerry was equally invaluable leading this critical team, especially through space station assembly, the transition to the space shuttle retirement, and during the initial phases of our future programs,” said Janet Kavandi, director of Flight Crew Operations. “He was considered a mentor to many he worked with there. We wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Of his seven flights into orbit, Ross flew on space shuttles Endeavour and Columbia once each and a record-setting five times on shuttle Atlantis, including his first and last missions. His first flight was on the STS-61B mission in 1985. His final flight into space was on the STS-110 mission in 2002.

During his seven missions, he assisted in deploying a number of satellites and other payloads. He performed experiments in life, material and Earth sciences, and physics, robotics and astronomy. Ross was a member of the STS-74 mission’s crew, the second mission to dock to the Russian space station Mir. He also traveled to the then-fledgling International Space Station, where he helped connect the U.S.-built Unity node to the Russian Zarya module. On the STS-110 mission, Ross’ final trip to space, he was instrumental in delivering and installing the S0 (S-Zero) truss. Ross accumulated more than 1,393 hours in space, including 58 hours and 18 minutes on nine spacewalks.

For Ross’ complete biography, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ross.html– end –

text-only version of this release

NASA press releases and other information are available automatically by sending a blank e-mail message to
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov.
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send a blank e-mail message to
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov.

Back to NASA Newsroom |
Back to NASA Homepage

Tagged with: deserved retirement • deserved rteirement • flight controller • flight crew operations • franklin chang daiz • franklin chang diaz • more than three decades • space station assembly • spaceflight missions

Filed under: NASA Breaking News

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!

Large and bright ball light source, the first aircraft landing lights, presumably

We live just south of the path typical flight from Vancouver International Airport. This object is first thought to be an aircraft (passenger aircraft) from the East bound to its landing light with the airport. In the jet, has two landing lights are usually, but this object was the only one of the very bright light, which had an impact on the front page. As this object is moved toward the United States, I noticed that there are no green or red tail lights and poultry. At this point, I realised that there were no wings.
The object was 90 degrees to the United States I realized that the light was not a light, landing, because they would need to be away from them because the object travels in the direction. The light was in other words, the same bright light with a 90-degree angle.
The object of continuing at the same time on the road, and the same bright light conntinued glow. At this time the object is sent to us, and Move away. The object disappeared from the night sky Eventully. A number of other factors were very important for this object: the air track was considerably below the level of the South seemed to continue regular basis is lower than normal (social work) in the area, and is not an object derived from the noise.

If the report was made on location in the map and more information click here ...

Tagged with: • apssenger •-angle for jet air track • night sky • passenger jet • tail light • taill ight • typical air • vancouver international airport

Filed under:Monitoring report on the UFO

, As in this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!