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Group 9 astronauts. Back row, L-R: Gardner, Springer, O'Connor, Ockels, Smith, Lounge. Middle row, L-R: Bagian, Blaha, Nicollier, Hilmers, Fisher, Dunbar, Ross. Front row, L-R: Bolden, Chang-Diaz, Cleave, Leestma, Spring, Richards, Bridges.

Class patch; the patch features nineteen stars representing the nineteen NASA astronauts belonging to the group.

NASA Astronaut Group 9 was announced on May 29, 1980, and completed their training by 1981. This group was selected to supplement the 35 astronauts that had been selected in 1978, and marked the first time that non-Americans were trained as mission specialists with the selections of ESA astronauts Claude Nicollier and Wubbo Ockels. In keeping with the previous group, astronaut candidates were divided into pilots and mission specialists, with eight pilots, eleven mission specialists, and two international mission specialists within the group.

As with the previous group, several spaceflight firsts were achieved, including:

First Costa-Rican astronaut: Franklin Chang-Diaz (January 12, 1986, STS-61-C)
First Dutch citizen in space: Wubbo Ockels (October 30, 1985, STS-61-A)
First Swiss astronaut: Claude Nicollier (July 31, 1992, STS-46)
First African-American Marine in space: Charles Bolden (January 12, 1986, STS-61-C)
First person to be launched into space more than six times: Jerry Ross (April 8, 2002, STS-110)
First astronaut spouse selected as an astronaut: William Fisher (August 27, 1985, STS-51-I; married to Anna Fisher, Group 8 astronaut)

In addition, Chang-Diaz and Ross share the world record for the most spaceflights, with seven each. Bolden also became the second astronaut to serve as NASA Administrator, appointed in 2009.

1 Pilots
2 Mission Specialists
3 International Mission Specialists
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Pilots [edit]

John E. Blaha (5 flights)^[1] Retired

STS-29 Discovery^[1] - Pilot: Deployed TDRS-D

STS-33 Discovery^[1] - Pilot: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

STS-43 Atlantis^[1] - Commander: Deployed TDRS-E

STS-58 Columbia^[1] - Commander: Spacelab: SLS-2

STS-79 Atlantis^[1] - Mission Specialist 4: Launched for long duration flight aboard Mir

Mir EO-22: Board Engineer 2^[1]

STS-81 Atlantis^[1] - Mission Specialist 4: Landed from long duration flight aboard Mir

Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (4 flights)^[2] Retired, Also Current NASA Administrator

STS-61-C Columbia^[2] - Pilot: Deployed Ku-1 communications satellite

STS-31 Discovery^[2] - Pilot: Deployed the Hubble Space Telescope

STS-45 Atlantis^[2] - Commander: ATLAS-1

STS-60 Discovery^[2] - Commander: Spacehab 2

Roy D. Bridges, Jr. (1 flight)^[3] Retired

STS-51-F Challenger^[3] - Pilot: Spacelab 2

Guy S. Gardner (2 flights)^[4] Retired

STS-27 Atlantis^[4] - Pilot: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

STS-35 Columbia^[4] - Pilot: ASTRO-1

Ronald J. Grabe (4 flights)^[5] Retired

STS-51-J Atlantis^[5] - Pilot: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

STS-30 Atlantis^[5] - Pilot: Deployed the Magellan probe

STS-42 Discovery^[5] - Commander: Spacelab: IML-1

STS-57 Endeavour^[5] - Commander: Spacehab

Bryan D. O'Connor (2 flights)^[6] Retired, Current NASA Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance

STS-61-B Atlantis^[6] - Pilot: Deployed 3 communication satellites

STS-40 Columbia^[6] - Commander: Spacelab: SLS-1

Richard N. Richards (4 flights)^[7] Retired

STS-28 Columbia^[7] - Pilot: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

STS-41 Discovery^[7] - Commander: Deployed the Ulysses (spacecraft)

STS-50 Columbia^[7] - Commander: Spacelab: U.S. Microgravity Laboratory 1

STS-64 Discovery^[7] - Commander: Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE)

Michael J. Smith (1 flight) (1945-1986)^[8] Deceased During the Challenger Disaster

STS-51-L Challenger^[8] - Pilot: Planned to Deploy TDRS-B

Mission Specialists [edit]

James P. Bagian (2 flights)^[9] Retired

STS-29 Discovery^[9] - Mission Specialist 1: Deployed TDRS-D

STS-40 Columbia^[9] - Mission Specialist 1: Spacelab: SLS-1

Franklin Chang-Diaz (7 flights)^[10] Retired

STS-61-C Columbia^[10] - Mission Specialist 1: Deployed Ku-1 communications satellite

STS-34 Atlantis^[10] - Mission Specialist 1: Deployed the Galileo probe

STS-46 Atlantis^[10] - Mission Specialist 2: Deployed ESA’s European Retrievable Carrier and flew the Tethered Satellite System’s TSS-1 mission

STS-60 Discovery^[10] - Mission Specialist 3: Spacehab 2

STS-75 Columbia^[10] - Mission Specialist 4/Payload Commander: The Tethered Satellite System’s TSS-1R mission

STS-91 Discovery^[10] - Mission Specialist 2: Final Shuttle/Mir mission

STS-111 Endeavour^[10] - Mission Specialist 1: Installed the Mobile Base System for Canadarm2 on the ISS

Mary L. Cleave (2 flights)^[11] Retired

STS-61-B Atlantis^[11] - Mission Specialist 1: Deployed 3 communication satellites

STS-30 Atlantis^[11] - Mission Specialist 2: Deployed the Magellan probe

Bonnie J. Dunbar (5 flights)^[12] Retired

STS-61-A Challenger^[12] - Mission Specialist 1: Spacelab D1

STS-32 Columbia^[12] - Mission Specialist 1: Deployed the SYNCOM IV-F5 satellite; retrieved the Long Duration Exposure Facility

STS-50 Columbia^[12] - Mission Specialist 1: Spacelab: U.S. Microgravity Laboratory 1

STS-71 Atlantis^[12] - Mission Specialist 3: First Shuttle/Mir docking

STS-89 Endeavour^[12] - Mission Specialist 3: Eighth Shuttle/Mir docking

William Frederick Fisher (1 flight)^[13] Retired

STS-51-I Discovery^[13] - Mission Specialist 3: Deployed three communications satellites

David C. Hilmers (4 flights)^[14] Retired

STS-51-J Atlantis^[14] - Mission Specialist 1: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

STS-26 Discovery^[14] - Mission Specialist 3: Was the "Return-to-Flight" shuttle mission following the Challenger disaster; deployed TDRS-C

STS-36 Atlantis^[14] - Mission Specialist 2: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

STS-42 Discovery^[14] - Mission Specialist 2: Spacelab: IML-1

David Leestma (3 flights)^[15] Retired, But Still Works at NASA as Manager of JSC’s Advanced Planning Office

STS-41-G Challenger^[15] - Mission Specialist 3: Deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite

STS-28 Columbia^[15] - Mission Specialist 2: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

STS-45 Atlantis^[15] - Mission Specialist 2: ATLAS-1

John M. Lounge (3 flights) (1946-2011)^[16] Deceased

STS-51-I Discovery^[16] - Mission Specialist 2: Deployed three communications satellites

STS-26 Discovery^[16] - Mission Specialist 1: Was the "Return-to-Flight" shuttle mission following the Challenger disaster; deployed TDRS-C

STS-35 Columbia^[16] - Mission Specialist 2: ASTRO-1

Jerry L. Ross (7 flights)^[17] Retired, But Still Works at NASA as Chief of JSC’s Vehicle Integration Test Office

STS-61-B Atlantis^[17] - Mission Specialist 2: Deployed 3 communication satellites

STS-27 Atlantis^[17] - Mission Specialist 2: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

STS-37 Atlantis^[17] - Mission Specialist 1: Launched the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

STS-55 Columbia^[17] - Mission Specialist 1: Spacelab: D2

STS-74 Atlantis^[17] - Mission Specialist 2: Second Shuttle/Mir docking

STS-88 Endeavour^[17] - Mission Specialist 1: First shuttle mission to the International Space Station; delivered Unity (Node 1) and the first two Pressurized Mating Adapters

STS-110 Atlantis^[17] - Mission Specialist 1: Delivered the S0 Truss and the Mobile Transporter for Canadarm2

Sherwood C. Spring (1 flight)^[18] Retired

STS-61-B Atlantis^[18] - Mission Specialist 3: Deployed 3 communication satellites

Robert C. Springer (2 flights)^[19] Retired

STS-29 Discovery^[19] - Mission Specialist 3: Deployed TDRS-D

STS-38 Atlantis^[19] - Mission Specialist 1: Was a classified United States Department of Defense mission

International Mission Specialists [edit]

Claude Nicollier (4 flights)^[20] Retired

STS-46 Atlantis^[20] - Mission Specialist 3: Deployed ESA’s European Retrievable Carrier and flew the Tethered Satellite System’s TSS-1 mission

STS-61 Endeavour^[20] - Mission Specialist 3: Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 1

STS-75 Columbia^[20] - Mission Specialist 3: The Tethered Satellite System’s TSS-1R mission

STS-103 Discovery^[20] - Mission Specialist 5: Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 3A

Wubbo Ockels (1 flight)^[21] Retired

STS-61-A Challenger^[21] - Payload Specialist 3: Spacelab: D1

References [edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h NASA (2008). "Astronaut Bio: John E. Blaha". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e NASA (2009). "Astronaut Bio: Charles F. Bolden, Jr.". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b NASA (2005). "Astronaut Bio: Roy D. Bridges, Jr.". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c NASA (1994). "Astronaut Bio: Guy S. Gardner". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e NASA (1999). "Astronaut Bio: Ronald J. Grabe". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c NASA (2008). "Astronaut Bio: Bryan D. O'Connor". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e NASA (2007). "Astronaut Bio: Richard N. Richards". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b NASA (2003). "Astronaut Bio: Michael J. Smith". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c NASA (1995). "Astronaut Bio: James P. Bagian". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h NASA (2005). "Astronaut Bio: Franklin R. Chang-Diaz". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c NASA (2003). "Astronaut Bio: Mary L. Cleave". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f NASA (2005). "Astronaut Bio: Bonnie J. Dunbar". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b NASA (1993). "Astronaut Bio: William F. Fisher". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e NASA (1993). "Astronaut Bio: David C. Hilmers". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d NASA (2006). "Astronaut Bio: David C. Leestma". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d NASA (2011). "Astronaut Bio: John M. Lounge". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h NASA (2008). "Astronaut Bio: Jerry L. Ross". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b NASA (1994). "Astronaut Bio: Sherwood C. Spring". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c NASA (2006). "Astronaut Bio: Robert C. Springer". Retrieved 2010-03-05. ^{[dead link]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e NASA (2007). "Astronaut Bio: Claude Nicollier". Retrieved 2010-03-05.
^ ^a ^b NASA (1986). "Astronaut Bio: Wubbo J. Ockels". Retrieved 2010-03-05.

External links [edit]

Astronaut Biographies: Home Page

NASA Astronaut Group 9, "19+80", 1980

Pilots

Mission Specialists

International Mission Specialists

v t e NASA Astronaut Groups NASA Astronaut Corps

NASA Astronaut Group 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 List of astronauts by selection

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NASA Astronaut Group 9

Contents

Pilots [edit]

Mission Specialists [edit]

International Mission Specialists [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

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