NASA Astronaut Group 8

Updated on Dec 23, 2024

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NASA's Astronaut Group 8 was the first selection in nine years of astronaut candidates since Group 7 in August 1969. Due to the long delay between the last Apollo lunar mission in 1972 and the first flight of the Space Shuttle in 1981, few astronauts from the older groups stayed with NASA. On January 16, 1978 a new group of 35 astronauts, including NASA's first female astronauts, was selected. Since then, a new group of candidates has been selected roughly every two years.

In Astronaut Group 8, two different astronaut groups were formed: pilots and mission specialists. (With shuttle classes, NASA stopped sending non-pilots for one year of UPT.) Of the 35 selected, six were women, three were male African Americans, and one was a male Asian American.

Special achievements

Within this group a sizable number of American spaceflight firsts were achieved:

First American woman in space: Sally Ride (June 18, 1983, STS-7)

First African-American in space: Guion Bluford (August 30, 1983, STS-8)

First Jewish-American in space: Judith Resnik (August 30, 1984, STS-41-D)

First American woman to perform an EVA: Kathryn Sullivan (October 11, 1984, STS-41-G)

First mother in space: Anna Fisher (November 8, 1984, STS-51-A)

First Asian-American in space: Ellison Onizuka (January 24, 1985, STS-51-C)

First African-American to pilot and command a mission: Frederick Gregory (April 29, 1985, STS-51-B; November 23, 1989, STS-33)

First American to launch on a Russian rocket: Norman Thagard (March 14, 1995, Soyuz TM-21)

First American woman to make a long-duration spaceflight: Shannon Lucid (March to September 1996, Mir NASA-1)

First American active duty astronauts to marry: Robert Gibson and Rhea Seddon

First mother to be hired as an astronaut: Shannon Lucid

First Army astronaut: Bob Stewart

(The previous seven groups had only Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps officers and civilians, with the West Point graduates having accepted commissions in the Air Force.)

Of this group, Scobee, Resnik, Onizuka, and McNair would perish in the Challenger accident.

Career highlights

After the Challenger accident, Sally Ride would serve on both the Rogers Commission and the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. By 2008, only Anna Fisher remained on active duty eligible for a flight assignment, By 2011 she was no longer eligible for space travel and had become a management astronaut, She currently works jointly for the Capsule Communicator and Exploration branches of NASA, working as a station CAPCOM and on display development for the Orion project. Fisher's tenure was broken by a maternal leave of absence from 1989 to 1996. Shannon Lucid's tenure was continuous since selection, and while she, too, was no longer eligible for flight assignment, she continued to perform ground-based duties, serving as CAPCOM for shuttle missions to 2011, including the final flight day of the final mission. She retired at age 69 in 2012.

Nickname

Group 8's name for itself was "TFNG." The abbreviation was deliberately ambiguous; for public purposes, it stood for "Thirty-Five New Guys"; however, within the group itself, it was known to stand for an off-color military phrase used to denote newcomers to a unit.

Pilots

Daniel Brandenstein (born 1943), U.S. Navy (4 flights)

STS-8 Challenger — August 1983 — Pilot — INSAT-1B satellite deployment missionSTS-51-G Discovery — June 1985 — Commander — Arabsat-1B, Morelos I, and Telstar 3D satellite deployment missionSTS-32 Columbia — January 1990 — Commander — Syncom IV-5 satellite deployment; Long Duration Exposure Facility retrieval missionSTS-49 Endeavour — May 1992 — Commander — Intelsat VI repair mission

Michael Coats (born 1946), U.S. Navy (3 flights)

STS-41-D Discovery — August 1984 — Pilot — SBS-D, Telstar 3C, and Syncom IV-2 satellite deployment missionSTS-29 Discovery — March 1989 — Commander — TDRS D satellite deployment missionSTS-39 Discovery — April 1991 — Commander — United States Department of Defense mission; carried AFP-675

Richard Covey (born 1946), U.S. Air Force (4 flights)

STS-51-I Discovery — August 1985 — Pilot — AUSSAT-I, ASC-I, and Syncom IV-4 satellite deployment; Syncom IV-3 repair missionSTS-26 Discovery — September 1988 — Pilot — TDRS C satellite deployment missionSTS-38 Atlantis — November 1990 — Commander — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-67 (either SDS-2 or Magnum)STS-61 Endeavour — December 1993 — Commander — Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission # 1

John Creighton (born 1943), U.S. Navy (3 flights)

STS-51-G Discovery — June 1985 — Pilot — Arabsat-1B, Morelos I, and Telstar 3D satellite deployment missionSTS-36 Atlantis — February 1990 — Commander — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-53 (Misty)STS-48 Discovery — September 1991 — Commander — Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite deployment mission

Robert Gibson (born 1946), U.S. Navy (5 flights)

STS-41-B Challenger — February 1984 — Pilot — Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite deployment missionSTS-61-C Columbia — January 1986 — Commander — Satcom K1 satellite deployment missionSTS-27 Atlantis — December 1988 — Commander — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-34 (Lacrosse-1)STS-47 Endeavour — September 1992 — Commander — Spacelab missionSTS-71 Atlantis — June 1995 — Commander — Shuttle-Mir docking

Frederick D. Gregory (born 1941), U.S. Air Force (3 flights)

STS-51-B Challenger — April 1985 — Pilot — Spacelab missionSTS-33 Discovery — November 1989 — Commander — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-48 (Magnum 2)STS-44 Atlantis — November 1991 — Commander — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed a DSP satellite

S. David Griggs (1939–1989), U.S. Navy (1 flight)

STS-51-D Discovery — April 1985 — Mission Specialist — Anik C-1 and Syncom IV-3 satellite deployment missionGriggs was assigned as Pilot for STS-33, but was killed in a plane accident several months before the launch

Frederick Hauck (born 1941), U.S. Navy (3 flights)

STS-7 Challenger — June 1983 — Pilot — Anik C-2 and Palapa B1 satellite deployment missionSTS-51-A Discovery — November 1984 — Commander — Anik D-2 and Syncom IV-1 satellite deployment; Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite retrieval missionSTS-26 Discovery — September 1988 — Commander — TDRS C satellite deployment mission

Jon McBride (born 1943), U.S. Navy (1 flight)

STS-41-G Challenger — October 1984 — Pilot — Earth Radiation Budget Satellite deployment mission

Steven Nagel (1946–2014), U.S. Air Force (4 flights)

STS-51-G Discovery — June 1985 — Mission specialist — Arabsat-1B, Morelos I, and Telstar 3D satellite deployment missionSTS-61-A Challenger — October 1985 — Pilot — Spacelab missionSTS-37 Atlantis — April 1991 — Commander — Compton Gamma Ray Observatory deployment missionSTS-55 Columbia — April 1993 — Commander — Spacelab mission

Francis "Dick" Scobee (1939–1986), U.S. Air Force (2 flights) — Died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

STS-41-C Challenger — April 1984 — Pilot — Long Duration Exposure Facility deployment and Solar Max repair missionSTS-51-L Challenger — January 1986 — Commander — TDRS B satellite deployment mission

Brewster Shaw (born 1945), U.S. Air Force (3 flights)

STS-9 Columbia — November 1983 — Pilot — Spacelab missionSTS-61-B Atlantis — November 1985 — Commander — Morelos-B, and AUSSAT-2 satellite deployment missionSTS-28 Columbia — August 1989 — Commander — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-40 (SDS-2)

Loren Shriver (born 1944), U.S. Air Force (3 flights)

STS-51-C Discovery — January 1985 — Pilot — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-8 (Magnum 1)STS-31 Discovery — April 1990 — Commander — Hubble Space Telescope deployment missionSTS-46 Atlantis — July 1992 — Commander — EURECA deployment and Tethered Satellite System mission

David Walker (1944–2001), U.S. Navy (4 flights)

STS-51-A Discovery — November 1984 — Pilot — Anik D-2 and Syncom IV-1 satellite deployment; Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite retrieval missionSTS-30 Atlantis — May 1989 — Commander — Magellan probe deployment missionSTS-53 Discovery — December 1992 — Commander — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-89 (SDS-2)STS-69 Endeavour — September 1995 — Commander — Wake Shield Facility and Spartan 201 mission

Donald Williams (1942-2016), U.S. Navy (2 flights)

STS-51-D Discovery — April 1985 — Pilot — Anik C-1 and Syncom IV-3 satellite deployment missionSTS-34 Atlantis — October 1989 — Commander — Galileo probe deployment mission

Mission specialists

Guion Bluford (born 1942), U.S. Air Force (4 flights)

STS-8 Challenger — August 1983 — INSAT-1B satellite deployment missionSTS-61-A Challenger — October 1985 — Spacelab missionSTS-39 Discovery — April 1991 — United States Department of Defense mission; carried AFP-675STS-53 Discovery — December 1992 — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-89 (SDS-2)

James Buchli (born 1945), U.S. Marine Corps (4 flights)

STS-51-C Discovery — January 1985 — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-8 (Magnum 1)STS-61-A Challenger — October 1985 — Spacelab missionSTS-29 Discovery — March 1989 — TDRS D satellite deployment missionSTS-48 Discovery — September 1991 — Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite deployment mission

John Fabian (born 1939), U.S. Air Force (2 flights)

STS-7 Challenger — June 1983 — Anik C-2 and Palapa B1 satellite deployment missionSTS-51-G Discovery — June 1985 — Arabsat-1B, Morelos 1, and Telstar 3D satellite deployment mission

Anna Fisher (born 1949), Chemist (1 flight)

STS-51-A Discovery — November 1984 — Anik D-2 and Syncom IV-1 satellite deployment; Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite retrieval mission

Dale Gardner (1948–2014), U.S. Navy (2 flights)

STS-8 Challenger — August 1983 — INSAT-1B satellite deployment missionSTS-51-A Discovery — November 1984 — Anik D-2 and Syncom IV-1 satellite deployment; Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite retrieval mission

Terry Hart (born 1946), U.S. Air Force (1 flight)

STS-41-C Challenger — April 1984 — Long Duration Exposure Facility deployment and Solar Max repair mission

Steven Hawley (born 1951), Physicist (5 flights)

STS-41-D Discovery — August 1984 — SBS-D, Telstar 3C, and Syncom IV-2 satellite deployment missionSTS-61-C Columbia — January 1986 — Satcom K1 satellite deployment missionSTS-31 Discovery — April 1990 — Hubble Space Telescope deployment missionSTS-82 Discovery — February 1997 — Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission # 2STS-93 Columbia — July 1999 — Chandra X-ray Observatory deployment mission

Jeffrey Hoffman (born 1944), Scientist (5 flights)

STS-51-D Discovery — April 1985 — Anik C-1 and Syncom IV-3 satellite deployment missionSTS-35 Columbia — December 1990 — Spacelab missionSTS-46 Atlantis — July 1992 — EURECA deployment and Tethered Satellite System missionSTS-61 Endeavour — December 1993 — Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission # 1STS-75 Columbia — February 1996 — EDO mission

Shannon Lucid (born 1943), Biochemist (5 flights)

STS-51-G Discovery — June 1985 — Arabsat-1B, Morelos 1, and Telstar 3D satellite deployment missionSTS-34 Atlantis — October 1989 — Galileo probe deployment missionSTS-43 Atlantis — August 1991 — TDRS E satellite deployment missionSTS-58 Columbia — October 1993 — Spacelab/EDO missionSTS-76 Atlantis — March 1996 — Shuttle-Mir docking (launch)Mir NASA-1 — second American long-duration increment on MirSTS-79 Atlantis — September 1996 — Shuttle-Mir docking (landing)

Ronald McNair (1950–1986), Physicist (2 flights) — Died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

STS-41-B Challenger — February 1984 — Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite deployment missionSTS-51-L Challenger — January 1986 — TDRS B satellite deployment mission

Richard Mullane (born 1945), U.S. Air Force (3 flights)

STS-41-D Discovery — August 1984 — SBS-D, Telstar 3C, and Syncom IV-2 satellite deployment missionSTS-27 Atlantis — December 1988 — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-34 (Lacrosse-1)STS-36 Atlantis — February 1990 — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-53 (Misty)

George Nelson (born 1950), Physicist (3 flights)

STS-41-C Challenger — April 1984 — Long Duration Exposure Facility deployment and Solar Max repair missionSTS-61-C Columbia — January 1986 — Satcom K1 satellite deployment missionSTS-26 Discovery — September 1988 — TDRS C satellite deployment mission

Ellison Onizuka (1946–1986), U.S. Air Force (2 flights) — Died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

STS-51-C Discovery — January 1985 — United States Department of Defense mission; deployed USA-8 (Magnum 1)STS-51-L Challenger — January 1986 — TDRS B satellite deployment mission

Judith Resnik (1949–1986), Engineer (2 flights) — Died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

STS-41-D Discovery — August 1984 — SBS-D, Telstar 3C, and Syncom IV-2 satellite deployment missionSTS-51-L Challenger — January 1986 — TDRS B satellite deployment mission

Sally Ride (1951–2012), Physicist (2 flights) — First American woman in space

STS-7 Challenger — June 1983 — Anik C-2 and Palapa B1 satellite deployment missionSTS-41-G Challenger — October 1984 — Earth Radiation Budget Satellite deployment mission

Rhea Seddon (born 1947), Physician (3 flights)

STS-51-D Discovery — April 1985 — Anik C-1 and Syncom IV-3 satellite deployment missionSTS-40 Columbia — June 1991 — Spacelab missionSTS-58 Columbia — October 1993 — Spacelab/EDO mission

Robert Stewart (born 1942), U.S. Army (2 flights)

STS-41-B Challenger — February 1984 — Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellite deployment missionSTS-51-J Atlantis — October 1985 — United States Department of Defense mission; DSCS-III satellite deployment

Kathryn Sullivan (born 1951), Geologist (3 flights) — First American woman to perform an EVA

STS-41-G Challenger — October 1984 — Earth Radiation Budget Satellite deployment missionSTS-31 Discovery — April 1990 — Hubble Space Telescope deployment missionSTS-45 Atlantis — March 1992 — Spacelab mission

Norman Thagard (born 1943), Physician (5 flights)

STS-7 Challenger — June 1983 — Anik C-2 and Palapa B1 satellite deployment missionSTS-51-B Challenger — April 1985 — Spacelab missionSTS-30 Atlantis — May 1989 — Magellan probe deployment missionSTS-42 Discovery — January 1992 — Spacelab missionSoyuz TM-21 — March 1995 — Shuttle-Mir Program, first American to launch in a Russian rocketSTS-71 Atlantis — July 1995 — Shuttle-Mir docking (landing)

James van Hoften (born 1944), U.S. Navy (2 flights)

STS-41-C Challenger — April 1984 — Long Duration Exposure Facility deployment and Solar Max repair missionSTS-51-I Discovery — August 1985 — AUSSAT-I, ASC-I, and Syncom IV-4 satellite deployment; Syncom IV-3 repair mission

References

NASA Astronaut Group 8 Wikipedia

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