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What Senator flew on the space shuttle?

What Senator flew on the space shuttle?

Garn became the first sitting member of Congress to fly in space when he flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as a payload specialist during NASA mission STS-51-D (April 12–19, 1985)….

Jake Garn
Occupation Pilot, politician
Space career
NASA Payload Specialist
Time in space 6 d 23 h 55 m

Did senators fly on space shuttle?

In 1985, Senator Jake Garn went into space aboard the STS-51-D flight as a payload specialist and in 1986 Rep. Bill Nelson of Florida became the second sitting member of Congress to travel into space aboard Space Shuttle Columbia’s STS-61-C mission, also as a payload specialist.

How old was Jake Garn when he went to space?

29-year-old
Garn was a 29-year-old Navy pilot when Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly into space on April 12, 1961.

When was the last time NASA sent a shuttle into space?

July 8, 2011
It’s been 10 years since NASA’s space shuttle Atlantis ended an era. NASA’s final space shuttle mission, which launched 10 years ago this week, almost didn’t happen. The mission on space shuttle Atlantis, called STS-135, launched on July 8, 2011.

Is Bill Nelson still a senator?

Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician and attorney serving as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Nelson previously served as a United States Senator from Florida from 2001 to 2019.

Did Bill Nelson go to space?

In 1986, Nelson became the second sitting member of Congress (and the first member of the House) to travel into space. He went through NASA training with Senator Jake Garn of Utah. Nelson was a Payload Specialist on Space Shuttle Columbia’s STS-61-C mission from January 12 to 18, 1986.

When did the last man go to the moon?

December 1972
The last manned mission to the Moon was Apollo 17, taking place between 7 and 19 December 1972.

Is Bill Nelson head of NASA?

Miami, Florida, U.S. Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician and attorney serving as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Who was Mr Nelson Earth Day?

Gaylord Anton Nelson (June 4, 1916 – July 3, 2005) was an American politician and environmentalist from Wisconsin who served as a United States Senator and governor. He was a member of the Democratic Party and the founder of Earth Day, which launched a new wave of environmental activism.

When did NASA start working on the Space Shuttle?

In 1968, NASA officially began work on what was then known as the Integrated Launch and Re-entry Vehicle (ILRV). At the same time, NASA held a separate Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) competition.

When did NASA start building the Space Shuttle Endeavour?

Construction of OV-105, later named Endeavour, began in February 1982, but NASA decided to limit the Space Shuttle fleet to four orbiters in 1983. After the loss of Challenger, NASA resumed production of Endeavour in September 1987.

When was the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger?

Editor’s Note: Today is the 30th anniversary of the loss of the space shuttle Challenger, which was destroyed 73 seconds in its flight, killing all onboard. To mark the anniversary, IEEE Spectrum is republishing this seminal article which first appeared in June 1989 as part of a special report on risk.

How big was the Space Shuttle solid rocket booster?

The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) provided 71.4% of the Space Shuttle’s thrust during liftoff and ascent, and were the largest solid-propellant motors ever flown. Each SRB was 45 m (149.2 ft) tall and 3.7 m (12.2 ft) wide, weighed 68,000 kg (150,000 lb), and had a steel exterior approximately 13 mm (.5 in) thick.